2010 Free Agent Frenzy

by bren on Nov 20, 2008 6:07 PM CST

"Bracing For the 2010 Sweepstakes"

Great look from SI.com about, perhaps, the biggest FA market in NBA history in 2010, featuing LeBron James, Chris Bosh, Dwayne Wade, Amare Stoudemire, Yao Ming, Steve Nash, Shaquille O'Neal, Dirk Nowitzki, Tracy McGrady, Michael Redd,Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, Joe Johnson and even Emanuel Ginobili.

Obviously some are older and more injured than others, but thats an amazing list.

The author pegs LeBron as deciding between staying in Cleveland or going to the Knicks, Wade staying put and Bosh weighing a return to the States or being the Man in Canada.

There is a feeling throughout the league that Bosh, a Texan, will consider a move enabling him to return to the United States and eventually raise a family on home soil. Rival NBA executives argue that Bosh hasn't been celebrated as much while playing for a Canadian team as he would be on an American roster.

This would be an ideal signing for the Spurs, he can play along side Duncan for a few years as Duncan rides off into the sunset and gradually the offense will mold around him, much as it did for Duncan when he teamed up with Robinson.

You could make a simliar argument for Joe Johnson and Ginobili. Manu will be 33 in 2010 and will have a lot of basketball miles on him by then, if he didnt leave for Denver in his first forray into free agency, one can reasonably expect he'll finish his career in San Antonio.

Thomsen also goes on to guess what teams will be in play for this elite group, about the Spurs:

Bulls, Rockets, Heat, Suns, Trail Blazers, Kings, Spurs, Raptors: These are among the many teams that could develop enough space to make a run at a major free agent. As noted above, however, the demand for young talent will far exceed the supply.

If I were running the show, Id throw max money, or as reasonably close as they could get, at Chris Bosh and hopefully have a front line rotation of Duncan, Bosh, Splitter and Mahinmi. That would be a nice way to translate from the Golden Age of Manu and Timmy.

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I’d rather have Amare then Bosh, basketball-wise.

www.sportzchat.com

by Linix129 on Nov 20, 2008 6:42 PM CST reply actions

Bosh has no injuries though

I think they had it right in that piece, he’s overlooked, take a look at his stats, Im sure most people would be surprised, he did 25 and 11 last year.

And you never know what is going to happen with Tiago anyway, so we may need more frontcourt help by then

Okay, just so I understand it... in your wildest fantasy, you are in hell. And you are co-running a bed and breakfast with the devil.

by bren on Nov 20, 2008 6:54 PM CST up reply actions

Amare doesn’t play defense and I don’t think he ever will.. Bosh seems like he can and looks like a nice fit for the Spurs.

by hak518 on Nov 20, 2008 10:32 PM CST up reply actions

amare doesn’t play spurs basketball at all. I really like a move to get bosh.

What the Bowen giveth Horry taketh away. --LatinD (2008 Playoffs Round 2, Game 1)

the Spurs do not defeat you so much as they grind you into tiny shards of psychological wreckage.
-the Denver Post

by Hamer_SpursFan on Nov 20, 2008 11:04 PM CST up reply actions

Couldn’t agree more. Bosh fits, Amare doesn’t. And I don’t like having to hate guys that wear the SPURS uni; Amare’s on that list of players that I will never and could never get behind.

by SgtinManusArmy on Nov 20, 2008 11:43 PM CST up reply actions

+1

Yeah, I’m with you guys there. Bosh’s a great player. I enjoy watching the Raptors.

by LatinD on Nov 21, 2008 7:48 AM CST up reply actions

engage sarcasm-o-meter

but he started talking about playing defense this year – that’s gotta count for something right?

that and his new nickname – Sun Tsu – and he’ll be a defending beast by 2010

I am calm, filling myself with patience - Manu Ginobili

by J.R. Wilco on Nov 21, 2008 11:45 AM CST up reply actions

Maybe if he bulks up a bit.

www.sportzchat.com

by Linix129 on Nov 20, 2008 7:12 PM CST reply actions

And learns to play some defense.

by Wayne Vore (ATS) on Nov 20, 2008 7:34 PM CST up reply actions

I think he’s talking about Bosh (unless Bosh doesn’t play defense either)

by werdnawee on Nov 20, 2008 9:37 PM CST up reply actions

Correct, I was talking about Bosh not playing defense.

by Wayne Vore (ATS) on Nov 20, 2008 9:52 PM CST up reply actions

Yep, wasn’t sure.

Don’t get to see a lot of games here so not sure what Bosh does on the defensive end.

by werdnawee on Nov 20, 2008 10:05 PM CST up reply actions

I don’t ever watch him. My “opinion” as it is, is from Charley Rosen.

by Wayne Vore (ATS) on Nov 20, 2008 10:11 PM CST up reply actions

Charley’s okay… but Bosh is 10 times better in defense than Amare.

(Of course 10 times 0 is 0, but that’s not what I meant. Not quite.)

by LatinD on Nov 21, 2008 7:49 AM CST up reply actions

As an aside...

… I think it is funny that the first month of the season isn’t over and SI has an in-depth analysis of the free agent market the year after next, and espn has already started running their MVP race hype.

Btw, good find Bren. I’ll be interested to see how many of these get extended before then. Plus, a lot of those guys are old.

by Wayne Vore (ATS) on Nov 20, 2008 7:36 PM CST reply actions

I think its b/c its so monumental

The 03 Draft class had so much hype, and now theyre all (most of them, i didnt see Melo on that list) are full fledged Free Agents.

I think LeBron to NY is a foregone conclusion, its not exactly necessary for him, b/c people all over the world are starting to know who he is, but its good for the NBA to have a strong team in NY, and a NY/LA rivarly with LBJ and Kobe would be insane.

The others are more murky, particularly Bosh b/c Toronto has a pretty good core around him; but whether he bulks up or not, 25pts and 11rebs is nothing to sneeze at, so hopefully he misses Texas a lot.

Okay, just so I understand it... in your wildest fantasy, you are in hell. And you are co-running a bed and breakfast with the devil.

by bren on Nov 20, 2008 8:36 PM CST up reply actions

Agree about Bosh.

Being Canadian I would agree. He hasn’t been celebrated up here being on a Canadian team, as much as he would be in the US. A move to the US, such as the Spurs may work better as he is from TX.

by CanadianBlazerfan on Nov 20, 2008 9:12 PM CST reply actions

But Dallas may make a run too.

Dallas may make a run at Bosh too. Isn’t Bosh from there?

by CanadianBlazerfan on Nov 20, 2008 9:13 PM CST reply actions

yeah he’s from dallas, but i think due to my homerism, i feel he’d prefer to go to the best organization in sports, the spurs

What the Bowen giveth Horry taketh away. --LatinD (2008 Playoffs Round 2, Game 1)

the Spurs do not defeat you so much as they grind you into tiny shards of psychological wreckage.
-the Denver Post

by Hamer_SpursFan on Nov 20, 2008 11:05 PM CST up reply actions

Being a Spurs fan.

Being a Spurs fan, I’d like to see him go to San Antonio too. Hope we get him, or someone good from that great free agent class.

by CanadianBlazerfan on Nov 21, 2008 7:58 PM CST up reply actions

I’d be willing to bet everything short of a testicle at this point that we’ll see LeBron within five years in a Brooklyn Nets uni. Mark it down now. The Knicks are pretty much capped out til 2037, and pieces are in play for the Brooklyn angle. He’s definately not staying in Cleveland. Keep in mind the Witness has said repeatedly that one of his goals is to be the first billion dollar athlete; that’s not even a possibility in the Mistake by the Lake. Portland’s a strong option too, but he’s going to Brooklyn.

by SgtinManusArmy on Nov 20, 2008 11:46 PM CST reply actions

The move to Brooklyn is in doubt though

So its not a sure shot

Okay, just so I understand it... in your wildest fantasy, you are in hell. And you are co-running a bed and breakfast with the devil.

by bren on Nov 21, 2008 9:18 AM CST up reply actions

True.

I live right around the corner from the proposed Atlantic Yards project in Brooklyn and I can definitely confirm that the project has hit a snag. Currently, there is no construction or demolition happening and it is going to take a while, I would predict years, to get the area prepped for a stadium. Basically, they’re wanting to build the stadium over the existing LIRR tracks and plop a stadium into the middle of a neighborhood that has no infrastructure (road, highways, etc) for a stadium. In addition, the community is fully against the stadium and doing everything to hang the project up in lawsuits.

Allez Spurs!

by JustinBK on Nov 21, 2008 10:40 AM CST up reply actions

I find it weird that SI always bold random names in their articles. For whatever reason I noticed Darth Vader was mentioned and I stopped reading.

Ok yeah on Free Agency the wheels are already in motion to make a move in 2010. Everybody on the roster, and I mean everybody aside from Timmy and Tony is off the books. Hill and Mahinmi are team options. The Spurs can dish out some serious dough for the first time in a long time in 2010.

I’m in the minority but I want Dwyane Wade. Timmy, Tony, Dwyane, Manu, George Hill, Tiago Splitter, and Ian Mahinmi. AWESOME

by r21x on Nov 20, 2008 11:55 PM CST reply actions

i’d be shocked if wade went anywhere. miami is already a top free-agent draw, being a large, warm market. there’s no way he’d go to san antonio.

gospursgo. hook 'em. metal rules. ganja rules.

by metalandganja on Nov 21, 2008 7:58 AM CST up reply actions

Im just hoping that the Heat suck so much, that the chance to win a title here in San Antonio, along with playing under Coach Pop is a big enough draw for him.

by r21x on Nov 21, 2008 2:39 PM CST up reply actions

I wouldn’t mind to sign up some good players, as long as we kept the Big Three core intact. I want them all to finish their careers as Spurs. I love Gino, but if Tony broke both his legs right now I’d still want the Spurs to keep him around.

Don’t know how much they could pay Bosh in that situation, though.

by LatinD on Nov 21, 2008 7:59 AM CST reply actions

The risk is planning 2 years ahead..

As we saw with Orlando when they planned and dreamed of adding Grant Hill and Tim Duncan back in 2000 (right?)….so Im sure a lot of teams will have a lot of cap space that will ultimately become disappointed, which may or may not lead to mediocre players getting huge deals.

I think LBJ and Bosh go, Wade stays, Dirk stays, Shaq gets a pity deal somewhere…..its gonna be crazy

Okay, just so I understand it... in your wildest fantasy, you are in hell. And you are co-running a bed and breakfast with the devil.

by bren on Nov 21, 2008 9:21 AM CST reply actions

LBJ goes and wade stays for sure

What the Bowen giveth Horry taketh away. --LatinD (2008 Playoffs Round 2, Game 1)

the Spurs do not defeat you so much as they grind you into tiny shards of psychological wreckage.
-the Denver Post

by Hamer_SpursFan on Nov 21, 2008 9:46 AM CST up reply actions

Great discussion...

…I’ve kind of missed the bus on Chris Bosh, with him being in Canada nd all. And I’d have to agree that he does not get the same coverage as players who play in the USA do. 25 and 11 is extemely impressive, and I like the idea of re-working the offense around him, with Tim, the way they did with him and The Admiral – a genius, patient move that I think we can all agree has paid off. Tony, Manu, Tim and Bosh = another banner.

by Ed (dfjmed) on Nov 21, 2008 11:31 AM CST reply actions

Lebron, Wade, Nerdwhiskey and Amere stay. In fact, almost everyone stays.
Bosh has a kinda nice set up and team in Toronto, not a bad org, so he might stay.

There will be some movement though…

Shaq goes to the Lakers attempting to get a free championship.
Joe Johnson has no loyalty to anyone and is a severe flight risk. He wants huge money.

The Spurs have made runs at so many free agents in the past and nothing ever pans out. My expectations are zero for the star player free agent market. We do pick some bit players now and then, although recently we have missed the boat on a large number of great role players like Bass and Landry. I think the coach and ownership are pretty content. They won 4 championships, so now it is time to take things easy. Why go through the pain of courting some high dollar free agent we don’t want to pay anyway?

I look to the draft for a miracle. I feel strongly the number one pick in the entire draft will land in our laps despite Pops farewell cruise mentalty. I am still madly debating who should be that number 1 pick. I am leaning to the Thabeet right now. A solid seven footer is very hard to come by. 6-9 and 6-10 power forwards are all over the place. Besides, Beasily, who was one of the great college power forwards is looking pretty average against his peers in the NBA.

by Clintons Cigar on Nov 21, 2008 1:04 PM CST reply actions

I think we make the playoffs, but its gotta be Ricky Rubio

hes the spanish pistol pete, it would be the same Derrek Rose/Michael Beasley debate. Big men who churn out double doubles are great, but once in a lifetime, franchise altering guards are scarce.

Do you honestly believe the Spurs arent going to make the playoffs?

Okay, just so I understand it... in your wildest fantasy, you are in hell. And you are co-running a bed and breakfast with the devil.

by bren on Nov 21, 2008 10:25 PM CST up reply actions

there is no way in hell we miss the playoffs. timmeh will not allow that.

once we’re healthy, i feel we will gain alot of momentum. timmeh, manu, TP and mason will be dirty dirty.

What the Bowen giveth Horry taketh away. --LatinD (2008 Playoffs Round 2, Game 1)

the Spurs do not defeat you so much as they grind you into tiny shards of psychological wreckage.
-the Denver Post

by Hamer_SpursFan on Nov 22, 2008 1:25 AM CST up reply actions

They can't ruin my tank in 08 plan!

My nightmare scenario is the Spurs just barely make the playoffs. If things go the way I want, we don’t have any major career injuries and stumble just out of playoff reach. The entire city of San Antonio starts to riot. Ownership and management are forced to take the team seriously and beef up the front line (aka crack open the wallet and pay some lettuce for a change). The ping pong balls magically line up and we get the number 1 pick in the entire draft.

Here is how things line up right now. These 8 teams are solid (providing no major injuries happen). So, it is possible that we just trip up short.

If we barely make the playoffs, then the nightmare unfolds: Fans are satisfied, ownership and coaches realize, hey we can just hang out, not spend any money, not take any chances, not make an effort, just make the playoffs, keep running the old Rudy T shtick about the heart of a champion and we can go right along until Timme retires and Pop runs for the hills.

1. * LA Lakers —
2. * Utah 3.0
3. * Houston 3.0
4. Phoenix 3.0
5. Denver 3.0
6. Portland 3.0
7. New Orleans 4.0
9. Dallas

by Clintons Cigar on Nov 22, 2008 12:21 PM CST up reply actions

Tank. Tank. Tank in ’08.

by Wayne Vore (ATS) on Nov 22, 2008 7:13 PM CST up reply actions

Even if they got the top pick

Im sure theyd trade it to Phoenix for a future second rounder

Okay, just so I understand it... in your wildest fantasy, you are in hell. And you are co-running a bed and breakfast with the devil.

by bren on Nov 23, 2008 6:52 PM CST up reply actions

Do you realize what you're saying?

There’s no possible tank in ‘08 plan. What you guys are discussing is tanking in ’09. That’s an odd numbered year – the year we win championships. The year Manu and Tony come back from early-season injuries to lead the team in assists and scoring. The year the new additions to the team showed all the benefits they gained from the experience earned from the extra playing time they had when the Sickness and Frenchie were recuperating.