Monday, February 21, 2005

NBA trade rumors

From SI.com's Truth and Rumors (but really NY Daily News):
For LeBron James to join the ranks of immortals, the Cavaliers better find a way to import some better teammates or risk losing him to a big-market team when he can leave.
-- New York Daily News
Which big market team would he be going to exactly? New York? The Knicks fan wet dream, but does anyone think they will have the cap space to pay for LeBron James? Or maybe the Cavs would do a sign and trade for some of the Knicks crap. What other "Big Market" teams are out there? Lakers? Have fun paying Kobe, Brian Grant, Odom AND LeBron. Riiiight.
I see these articles every now and then, how LeBron is going to leave Cleveland for a bigger market. All I want to know which market he's heading to. The Nets? Knicks? Lakers? Clippers? Bulls? Because the Cavs don't have the talent that these teams have? Come on, how many All Stars did the Cavs have this weekend: 2. Combined All Stars from the Big Market Teams: 2. Get the Cavs some more players like the Big Market Teams, we need Chris Mihm back! Tim Thomas! Kurt Thomas! Isiah Thomas? Last time I checked the Cavs have a better record than the Big Markets.

I can't really see the Cavs letting James head elsehwhere (plus, if he did, every Cleveland sports fan head would explode). The Boozer-gate debacle has actually worked out (though it looked (well, still looks) really bad/dumb). But they compensated with Varejao and Gooden, and it looks like the Jazz aren't too happy with Boozer in Utah. Gee, you think you overpaid? LeBron may be the next Jordan/Magic/Bird/Jesus but Boozer certainly wasn't the next Karl Malone.

Despite no mention in SI's Truth and Rumors, look for the Cavs to make a run at Michael Redd this week (trade deadline is Thursday), and if the Bucks don't ask for Anderson Varejao (but a combination of draft picks, cash, Wagner, Diop, Jackson, Newble and Sasha) I wouldn't be surprised to see a deal. But I think it's more likely the Cavs will pursue him hard in the offseason (when they give up nothing).

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