| 06/22/2008 |
| Knicks may not have cap space for LeBron |
| Bob Finnan , Morning Journal Writer |
TO many fatalists who live among us, it's a foregone conclusion that Cavaliers forward LeBron James will be playing for the New York Knicks in 2010.
The All-Star has two years remaining on his contract. He has an early termination option on his $17,149,243 contract for the 2010-11 season, and many think he'll opt out.
There's only one problem with that scintillating rumor of him going to the Knicks: They probably won't have the necessary salary-cap space to sign a player of that magnitude. That doesn't prevent many in the New York media from reporting it. Remember, the salary cap is what drives the NBA, and unless Knicks president Donnie Walsh will be able to give away Zach Randolph's cap-killing contract, it probably won't happen. But some in the New York media won't let that get in the way of good story. First of all, the Knicks will want to re-sign valuable forward David Lee, who could be in line for a hefty pay raise. Also, they currently have just seven players under contract for the 2010-11 season, and that's not counting any draft picks. In addition, the Knicks will have many ''cap holds,'' where players might not be under contract, but teams have to account for them on the cap. Trivia question The Phoenix Suns hired Pistons assistant coach Terry Porter as their head coach last week. When was the last time they went outside the organization for a head coach? (Answer below) Soapbox time Mavericks owner Mark Cuban ruffled more than a few feathers last week when he spoke out about NBA players competing in the Olympics. ''It's not that I don't like the idea of them representing their countries,'' Cuban said. ''If the Olympics were truly a nationalistic endeavor built on sport and part of the public domain, I would be willing to take risk and support their playing. ''What I don't like is that we lie to ourselves and pretend that the Olympians represent our country. They don't. They have taken relatively low paying jobs working for the Olympics, who in turn sell the broadcast and marketing rights for billions of dollars in profits, all the while creating enormous risk for those of us who pay them for their day jobs that support their families. ''It's amazing how players who are free agents won't participate, but those with guaranteed contracts will. I hate the fact that we lie to ourselves and pretend this is about representing country. It's not. It's about money.'' Many people agree with that Cuban said, but didn't have the gumption to say it. If NBA players, like James, feel patriotic playing for their country, that's a great thing. But when Olympic officials say players are letting down their country by not playing for their team, that's just wrong. The only people truly representing our country are fighting in Iraq. The Olympic team has become a marketing bonanza, generating millions for the Olympic Committee. Let's get that much straight. By the numbers 16/1: Odds of the Cavs winning the NBA championship, courtesy of Bodog. The Celtics have 7/2 odds to repeat. 30: Arizona point guard Jerryd Bayless reportedly made 30 consecutive 3-pointers during a recent workout. 197: LSU power forward Anthony Randolph was listed at 6-10, 205 in college. However, he showed up in Orlando for the pre-draft camp weighing just 197 pounds. When Georgia Tech's Chris Bosh was drafted by Toronto, he was a rail-thin 220 pounds. How many 205-pound power forwards are there in the league? Trivia answer Porter's hiring marks the first time the Suns have gone outside the organization for a head coach since 1973, when John MacLeod was hired from the University of Oklahoma. He coached the Suns for 13 1/2 seasons. Quick shots - The Cavs worked out France swingman Nicolas Batum (6-8, 210) on Friday. - The Cavs draft party will be held at the Winking Lizard in Lakewood on Thursday. Austin Carr, Campy Russell and Fred McLeod will be on hand. - There's little doubt the Cavs gave the Celtics the toughest series in the playoffs. Celtics forward Brian Scalabrine admitted as much. ''Cleveland played us tough,'' he said. ''They were a great team. (Coach) Mike Brown did a great job and LeBron James did a great job. Once again, our defense was the key (in the series).'' Rumor mill - Ohio State forward/center Kosta Koufos (7-0, 260) doesn't appear to be on the Cavs' radar at No. 19. He's worked out well for teams and has had little slippage. He probably won't be there when the Cavs pick. There's an interesting video on www.youtube.com (type in the ''real Kosta Koufos highlight video''). - Cavs swingman Devin Brown has left agent Derrick Powell and hired Cleveland agent Mark Termini. Brown is an unrestricted free agent. It remains to be seen if he returns to the Cavs. - If Kansas forward Darrell Arthur (6-9, 225) drops past Sacramento at 12, he could be on the board when the Cavs pick at 19. - One GM cautions that Texas A&M center DeAndre Jordan (7-0, 260) is so lacking in skills, he could drop out of the first round. That probably won't happen, though, because he is very athletic. - It truly is a miracle that Suns assistant GM Vinny Del Negro landed the Bulls' head coaching job. He was the Suns' radio analyst two years ago. He cozied up to Suns owner Robert Sarver and wound up with the director of player personnel title in 2006 and became the assistant GM last year. When Steve Kerr becomes GM, Del Negro becomes part of the inner circle (along with David Griffin) that ousts coach Mike D'Antoni. With no prior coaching experience, Del Negro is hired by Bulls GM John Paxson to be the Bulls coach. Supposedly, Del Negro interviews well. Now, he's taking over a team that has high aspirations and is getting the No. 1 pick in the draft. If Del Negro fails, Paxson will also get the boot. - Don't be shocked if the Timberwolves move down a few spots from No. 3 spot in the draft if they can add a player or draft pick. If they stay at 3, they'll likely take USC shooting guard O.J. Mayo. - Spurs coach Gregg Popovich says he doesn't blame forward/center Tiago Splitter for reneging on a verbal agreement to join the Spurs next season. Splitter, the team's No. 1 pick last year, recently signed a new four-year deal with Tau Ceramica worth several times more than the rookie minimum the Spurs could offer. And, he'll be paid in euros, which is no small perk given the declining dollar. - Many teams think Italian forward Danilo Gallinari has a promise from New Jersey at No. 10. Three points 1. It's amazing how quickly the perception of players can change. This time last year, the Cavs were convinced that Anderson Varejao was a core player. Now, he's being shopped around the league and will likely be traded. 2. Remember, though, he has veto power on being traded anywhere until Dec. 5. And, because he signed an offer sheet with Charlotte, he can't be traded to the Bobcats. Varejao is one of the Cavs' few legitimate trade assets. 3. There's a lot of talk right now as many teams are trying to acquire first-round picks. The Cavs have four expiring contracts, but teams are asking them to take back some bad contracts in trade talks. Information for this column was gathered by personal interviews and from other beat writers around the league. rfinnan@News-Herald.com
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