Knicks Cap Post Amar'e

Here is a breakdown of the Knicks' current salary cap situation by ESPN's resident capologist and charming man, Tom Penn. Take it away, Tom...

Welcome to New York, Amar'e!

It's finally official: the Knicks and Amar'e Stoudemire have agreed in principle on 5 year, $99.7 million deal (a Max deal) to bring the star power forward to the World's Most Famous Arena.

There are a lot of various opinions on this signing (including mine), but at least all Knicks' fans can finally exhale, as we now know the Knicks will not completely strike out on all the top free agents.

It will be interesting to see who the Knicks, and now Amar'e, can get to build around him. Already, the Nuggets have nixed the notion of Carmelo Anthony being traded this year.

Tony Parker and Chris Paul might be possibilities, but the ever-growing reality of the situation is pointing more towards Luke Ridnour to help implement the pick-and-roll game that Stoudemire thrives in. (Yes, I can hear the groans already.)

Before you groan, though, Knicks' fans, be happy and thankful your franchise has once again at least found a direction and a realistic chance to be at least partial players in the playoffs.

We need it. Be happy. Exhale.

Three-Way-Trade for Knicks?

Am I Nostradamus and just don't know it?

Minutes after posting that the Knicks might want to consider using the Minnesota Timberwolves in a 3-way trade involving David Lee and Al Jefferson in order to land Tony Parker, as Stoudemire promised he could make happen (as a Knick), ESPN Insider has posted a rumor of a three-way trade the Knicks are considering:

Minnesota Timberwolves receive David Lee in sign-and-trade

Golden State Warriors receive Al Jefferson

New York Knicks receive Monta Ellis

Ummm...how do I say this without sounding desperate? Oh, screw it.

DONNIE WALSH: DO NOT TRADE FOR MONTA ELLIS. HE HAS A BLOATED CONTRACT, DOES NOT PASS THE BALL, AND IS ALLEN IVERSON-LITE AND ALLEN IVERSON NEVER WON A TITLE. HE WAS A CANCER ON HIS TEAM LAST YEAR AND GOT SUSPENDED FOR GETTING INJURED IN THE OFF-SEASON AND THEN LYING ABOUT IT.

Okay, whew, I'm done.

To be honest, I don't think the Knicks are seriously considering this deal, especially at this time. It appears to be one of those flash rumors ESPN likes to post just to keep people interested on a slow day.

Amar'e: I Can Get Parker and Carmelo to NY

It wouldn't be the Fourth of July if there wasn't some good ol' American making a ridiculously bold claim that would undoubtedly ruffle the feathers of those around him. So, thank you Amar'e for telling the press that if you come to the Knicks, you could promise that Tony Parker and Carmelo Anthony would follow you.

As I mentioned before when it was revealed that the Knicks had an agreement in place with Stoudemire, one of the immediate plusses of an agreement would be that Stoudemire could be used as a recruiting tool. 

Well, apparently, he doesn't care if he is signed or not, he still plans to recruit. 

However, as much as he could be recruiting for the Knicks, he also might just be hyping up his ability as a recruiter so that the Knicks will give him his contract already (especially since there have been no other rumors of him getting Max offers elsewhere).

For the moment, though, let's take Amar'e at his word and see if this is even a possibility.

First, it has been rumored earlier this Spring that Tony Parker would be open to a trade to the Knicks. The only way this would occur is if a) the Knicks strike out on other free agents and b) the Spurs are willing to do a sign-and-trade with David Lee most likely being the centerpiece in the Knicks' side of the deal. The Spurs do have George Hill waiting in the wings behind Parker, but I have to believe David Lee is not the missing piece the Spurs need to make one last charge at the title with Tim Duncan. Thus, I think the Knicks would have to work some sort of a three way deal with maybe the Wolves involved and trading Al Jefferson to the Spurs?

Second, Carmelo Anthony has recently been offered a 3 year, $65 million extension from the Nuggets. Although he has not signed yet, most people believe it would be crazy not to take that much guaranteed money and run. However, there has also been some noise that if he does not sign the extension soon, the Nuggets will begin to consider trades so as not to lose him next summer for nothing. If he did become a free agent next summer, the Knicks are currently scheduled only to have $10-12 million in cap room, so they would need to trade some players to clear space in order to give Max dollars to Melo. However, considering how easy it became for the Bulls and Heat to pawn off players for cap room, I'm pretty sure the Knicks could figure something out by 2011.

If all this worked out, it would be a very very nice consolation prize to losing out on LeBron.

Two More Big Names Off the Market

According to reports, both Dirk Nowitzki and Paul Pierce have agreed to re-sign with its team, the Dallas Mavericks and the Boston Celtics, respectively. 


Both players agreed to take less money in order to give their respective teams more financial flexibility in pursuing other free agents, trades or re-signing some of their own players. 


Will the decision to take less money to help out the team become a trend with other big name free agents?


Well, if the dream scenario of the "Big Three" in Miami is ever going to work out, it appears Chris Bosh will at least have to take less money. According to reports, the Raptors have now soured on the idea of doing a sing-and-trade to help Bosh get a little more money. 


Although there were brief rumors before free agency that Nowitzki might be interested in the Knicks, no one has expected him or Pierce to sign with anyone else, so this should not affect either the Knicks or the Nets' plans. 

Who Made More Impressive Pitch to LeBron? Knicks or Nets?

According to ESPN's Chris Broussard's twitter account, the Nets have made the most impressive pitch to LeBron James going into today.


I'm not really sure how much that means or if it is even true, but it is worth noting, nonetheless.


However, if Mr. Broussard is reporting accurately, you have to wonder what the Nets did or said, because Ian O'Conner from ESPN New York detailed the Knicks pitch, and...wow, let's just say, it sounds pretty freaking impressive. I got goosebumps just reading about it.

Joe Johnson Getting Cold Feet?

Maybe he realized the extra year and $30 million wasn't worth staying with one of the most unsuccessful franchises in league history. 

Or maybe he thought he'd like to have a chance at actually winning TWO playoff series in the same year.

Well, whatever the reason is, Joe Johnson is now deciding to hold off on agreeing to the Max contract the Hawks offered him on the first day of Free Agency.

Apparently, he is trying to decide if it would be a better career move to play for the Bulls or Knicks. Well, Mr. Johnson, let me answer this one for you: Yes, of course it would.

The Knicks' Basketball Argument

Count Chris Sheridan as one of the believers.

Although many people are ruling out the possibility of LeBron coming to the Knicks, Mr. Sheridan provides a compelling case for why the Knicks' baskteball pitch might have been as powerful as the financial pitch.

Apparently, the Knicks stressed two things: 1) how their current crop of players are a much better fit for LeBron than any other team can offer, and 2) how much more financial flexibility the Knicks have going forward to add more players around him.

The first argument is an interesting one, because it goes along with something I've said before, the biggest rivals, the Chicago Bulls, have been completely overhyped in what they have to offer. Derrick Rose, while a great penetrator and passer, is an abysmal 24% from 3-point range. On the other hand, Toney Douglas, who does need the ball in his hands to be effective, shoots 39% from behind the arc, while Mo Williams, LeBron's PG last year, shot 43%. Sheridan goes on to point out how the Knicks have many more shooters, while the Bulls have nobody who is great from behind the line.

(Personal Note: I also laugh when I hear that Joakim Noah is considered a selling point to LeBron. He is only a more glorified version of Anderson Varejao, and I think LeBron is probably a little tired of kicking the ball out to him. Okay, sorry guys, had to get that off my chest. It's been there for a while.)

The second argument is a very underrated angle that is often overlooked by people, myself included. With so many teams clearing cap room in order to sign to Max free agents, there has been the perception that if a team scores two big free agents, they will be set up perfectly to win a title. However, since all these teams are so heavily gutted, financial flexibility going forward will be crucial to putting the right players around these superstars. While the Heat will have no way to maneuver their cap space next summer unless they give up Michael Beasley, and the Bulls will need to give extensions of Noah and Rose in the coming years, the Knicks instead will have a valuable trading chip in Eddy Curry's expiring contract (Thank You Eddy!) or they could choose to let the contract run out and make a push for another  Max player next Free Agency, when Carmelo Anthony might be available.

In conclusion, while the first point has been harped on heavily before and it might impact LeBron's decision making, the second point is where the Knicks might have a chance in winning him over.

Building a team is something that will take time, even if you land two Max free agents. The fact that the Knicks have maneuverability in the near future makes their outlook even brighter if things fall into place this summer.

Wade Moving Back Home?

After meeting with the Knicks yesterday, Dwyane Wade requested a second meeting with the Bulls to discuss a possible deal with his agent present. Although he left the second meeting last night without making a commitment, there are reports that say he is leaning towards signing with the Bulls, but is on the fence due to his loyalty to the Heat.

Only making things more interesting was the fact that Chris Bosh stopped by during part of the meeting, too. Therefore, it is looking as if the chances of a Bosh-Wade combo signing in Chicago might be a strong possibility.

So why does Wade want to leave the sunny beaches of South Florida now?

Well, apparently, he has finally began to think about how difficult it would be to build a team around him, LeBron and Bosh with only two other players under contract and no more cap space to use.

You kind of knew that the players were eventually going to figure this out and realize that the Miami "Big Three" pipe-dream was nothing more than that, a pipe-dream. (I can't even imagine how bad a team Miami will field if they lose Wade. I mean who the hell would go there? They might push for the regular season worst record.)

How does this affect the Knicks and Nets? Well, it never seemed like Wade was seriously considering either team. Both teams are focused on LeBron as the prize. The only worry, though, is that if Wade goes to Chicago, then Bosh will most likely, which only leaves Carlos Boozer as an option for the Nets, and the Knicks seem settled into the notion of adding Stoudemire anyway.

Finally, the best part of this for Knicks' fans is reveling in the fact that everything is blowing up in Pat Riley's face. Something tells me that during the next few days, Riley's hair might actually be a little ruffled.

(Note: I just realized I've been spelling Dwyane Wade's first name incorrectly as Dwayne this whole time. Weird spelling, that's all I got to say about that.)

Stoudemire's Suns Career Likely Over

Sun's owner, Robert Sarver, and his penchant for penny-pinching is apparently what led former GM, Steve Kerr, to head back to his old gig at TNT.

That move didn't sit well with their star and soon-to-be free agent, Amare Stoudemire. And, apparently, neither did an offer for $96 million over 5 years with playing time stipulations included.

After Stoudemire turned down the deal, the Suns quickly moved on and signed Hakim Warrick to a 4 year, $16 million deal to "replace" him.

It's too bad, at least from an NBA fan perspective, as Stoudemire was a perfect fit for the Suns' offense and a ton of fun too watch with Steve Nash.

From a NY fan perspective, though, the chances of Stoudemire coming to the Knicks or Nets have now significantly gone up. The only other team that appears to be somewhat in the running is the Heat, but their focus appear to be on acquiring the "Big Three" of LeBron, Wade and Bosh.

Personally, I don't see how Stoudemire would fit in with the Nets' new defensive-minded and demanding coach, Avery Johnson. Thus, the Knicks appear to be a much better fit considering the history with D'Antoni in Phoenix. Then again, who would he be playing with in New York? That is the question.

So many questions...so many answers coming in due time.

I Wanna Be A Billionaire So F***ing Bad...

Not only is this the title of one of the worst songs ever made, but Lebron James has made it clear in the past that he also would like to become a billionarie so f***ing bad.

As a result, the Knicks, in their pitch to LeBron, stressed that he could become a billionaire if he played for the Knicks. In fact, they hired a branding agency called Interbrand to help make their pitch with a slideshow.

According to Interbrand, which accounted for tons of variables, LeBron would have the best opportunity to make a billion dollars with the Knicks over other teams. Here is the list below, courtesy of TrueHoopBlog:

46.6% likely to earn a billion dollars in New York. The strong Knicks' team brand, combined with a shortage of past titles, makes it ripe for James to be seen as heroic to a huge market with national and international media exposure.

1.3% likely to earn a billion in Cleveland. His "hometown hero" status helps Cleveland leapfrog Chicago, as does the Cavalier's lack of past success -- win a title there and they'll love you forever.

1.0% likely to earn a billion in Chicago. The challenge there comes from the "high threshold for creating that legacy" thanks to Jordan's six titles and a fanbase that is not easily wowed.

0.0% likely to earn a billion in Miami. Interbrand finds that in Miami "low can avidity, size of fan base, media reach do not able brand stretch."

Anybody notice anything strange about this presentation? I think Mr. Prokhorov and Jay-Z would. The Knicks and Interbrand compared his marketability to every other competitor except the New Jersey/Brooklyn Nets, who play in virtually the same market. Now, his marketability might be higher with the Knicks, but the Nets almost surely would be right behind them.

Something tells me that James Dolan is scared out of his mind by Mikhail Prokhorov. And I love it.

Rudy Gay, Mr. Plan F, Off the Market

Although this will not have many New York fans' losing sleep, Rudy Gay has reportedly re-signed with the Memphis Grizzlies for 5 years and just over $80 million.

He did not seem to be even on the Knicks' radar, although there were rumors that he was more of a target of the Nets. Even so, neither team was banking on him being the cornerstone of it's franchise.

However, if LeBron and Wade sign elsewhere, and Joe Johnson is leaning toward re-signing with the Hawks, there will be scarce options for scoring wingmen.

As this week progresses, it should become more and more interesting as each player begins to announce a deal, as other franchises will probably begin freaking out as the free agent pool dries up. Some teams are surely to be embarrassed.

Imagine for one second that the Heat, now with only two players under contract, lose out on LeBron, Bosh AND Wade, and are stuck trying to field a team with the scrums of the free agent class. It would just be too good to be true. If I was the Heat's PR guy and that happened, I would just leave.

(The scary thing is that the same scenario could apply to the Knicks.)

The Best Free Agent Class Ever?

There is no doubt that talent-wise, this Free Agent class is the strongest in NBA, if not sports history. However, there does seem to be one glaring hole in this class's resume--Championship Rings. If you analyze the top 5 free agents (thus excluding Paul Pierce and his 1 ring)--LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh, Joe Johnson and Amare Stoudemire--their playoff resumes are surprisingly weak. The lone NBA Championship Ring belongs to Dwayne Wade, but he can thank Jerry Buss and Shaq for that as well as some questionable foul calls in finals that year.

In studying LeBron, you want to give him a pass because of how dominant a player he can be (See: Game 5, Eastern Conference Finals, 2007) and the poor level of talent surrounding him for many years. However, after his lackluster performance against Boston in this year's Conference Semifinals. Frankly, it appeared that he either did not care as much or he did not think he could overcome the Celtics. Either way, though, red flags flew sky high.

Chris Bosh's career has included only two trips to the playoffs, both resulting in first round playoff exits to New Jersey (4-1) and Orlando (4-2). Granted Bosh has fallen into the same category as LeBron by being surrounded by less than exemplary talent, but the lack of success he has had as the leader of a team should make anyone question signing him if not signing LeBron or Wade, as well.

Joe Johnson has a more interesting and more difficult career to gauge. As a role player in Mike D'Antoni's offense, Johnson flourished in the 7 seconds or less system the Suns employed. In fact, he was a key member of the Suns' team that pushed the Spurs championship team to the brink of elimination in 2007. Later on, as the leader of Hawks, Johnson did show off a real ability to dominate in the First Round series in 2008 against the Boston Celtics, the eventual Champions. He pretty much singled handedly pushed the series to seven games by scoring at will in the 4th quarter at home. However, two second round exits later, Joe Johnson and the Hawks are stuck in neutral. Although he must deserve some credit from taking the Hawks from bottom feeders to a second round playoff team, he will need LOTS of help to get over the next hump.

FInally, Amare Stoudemire has played in multiple Conference Finals and five playoffs total. While his offensive ability is unquestionable, the Suns' success is largely due to the their offensive system and the fact that future Hall of Famer, Steve Nash, was its point guard. Although, offensively, Stoudemire can be seen as a cornerstone for a franchise, his defensive liabilities hinder his ability to lead a team deep into the playoffs.

Thus, in the end, the most ballyhooed Free Agent Class ever has five young stars, but only one ring. I'm not saying that these guys do not deserve the hype, but it makes me believe only one team with cap room is going to come out of this summer as a possible contender over the next five years.

Fingers crossed, it's the Knicks.

I'd say Nets, too, but at least they have a team if they swing and miss.

Well, There Goes One Option (Maybe)

Although there were whispers that the Atlanta Hawks were not going to be able to spend the type of money to lure Joe Johnson back to the dirty bird city, there are reports today that the Hawks are prepared to offer Mr. Johnson the Max over six years ($119 million). Furthermore, Johnson appears to want to stay in Atlanta:

Johnson's representatives were also scheduled to meet with the Knicks and Heat as well, but Johnson's first choice is to stay in Atlanta, a source told ESPN.

This could be a big blow to the New York Knicks, as Johnson appeared to be heavily a part of their Plan B if LeBron and/or Wade decided to sign elsewhere, and also possibly a part of their Plan A, as there were whispers that LeBron considered Johnson a worthy sidekick to His Highness.

Bosh's First Meeting...Houston Rockets?

With all the talk about Bosh basically following Wade or LeBron wherever they decide to go, should we maybe consider Bosh joining a team all by his lonesome? Well, according to reports, this is exactly what Houston Rockets' GM, Daryl Morey, would like you and Mr. Bosh to believe.

Apparently, the Houston Rockets have singled out Mr. Bosh to be their No. 1 Free Agent target. Although they do not have the necessary cap room to sign him outright, they have more than enough assets to pull of a sign-and-trade deal that the Raptors have reportedly been very open to, especially considering their GM recently admitted that it is "likely" that Bosh will not be coming back.

So, should the Knicks and Nets be worried? Well maybe not worried, but at least they should be put on notice.

If say, LeBron decides to stay with Cleveland and Bosh gets cold feet on being only the fourth player under contract with the Heat after Dwayne Wade presumably resigns, the Rockets suddenly become a very interesting option for him. First, Bosh is originally from Texas, having grown up in Dallas. Second, the supporting cast the Rockets field is well, very impressive even after possibly trading Aaron Brooks, Jordan Hill (that would kill Knicks fans, wouldn't it?), Jared Jeffries and David Andersen, as Chad Ford has suggested.

This would be their roster if this trade was consummated:

C-Yao, P-Chris Bosh, 3-Trevor Ariza, 2-Kevin Martin, 1-Kyle Lowry
Bench-Luis Scola, Shane Battier, Chase Buddinger, Chuck Hayes, and Patrick Patterson

That is not a bad sell, especially considering the other options would be to play with very little support on the Knicks or to play with very unproven talent on the Nets. The Bulls would also have to be considered a serious player if this whole scenario played out, but I have to believe Bosh would see more promise in the Rockets' stacked and physical lineup than the overrated Bulls' foundation of Joakim Noah and Derrick Rose.

Granted, there is a pretty big catch here: Yao.

Will he be healthy? And will he be able to make it through a whole season?

My guess: Yes, he will be healthy to start the year, but will only play 50-60 games. However, now that he will not be the focal point of the offense, there will be less wear and tear on him and hopefully they could pace him so that he would be healthy for the playoffs. And worst comes to worst, Luis Scola is inserted back into the starting lineup, and things didn't turn out so badly two years ago when that happened.

David Lee doing Free Agency the old-fashioned way

Although most of this year's top Free Agents have decided not to go on a tour of all the prospective cities they might be playing in next year and instead have had the team's representative's come to them, David Lee is taking the opposite approach (which might make the Knicks and some of their fans a little uncomfortable).

Already, Lee has lined up visits with the Miami Heat, Chicago Bulls, Minnesota Timberwolves and the Knicks' now BIGGEST rivals, the New Jersey Nets.

As Chris Sheridan pointed out, both the Heat and the Bulls are probably going to wait and see how the bigger names play out before making a firm offer to Lee, but the New Jersey Nets, on the other hand, might be more willing to steal Lee away instead of waiting for Bosh, Stoudemire and Boozer to make up their minds.

Personally, I have to disagree with Sheridan here. Prokhorov just put up a billboard that read, "The Blueprint to Success." How is he going to sell David Lee receiving $12-13 million per year over five years as part of that blueprint. Those Knicks' fans who he wanted to convert into Nets' fans would just laugh in his face if he signed Lee before waiting to see what happened with the bigger names. David Lee, for all his talent, grit, and hustle, was able to put up solid numbers on some teams that were really brutal to watch. Signing Lee for that much money this early in Free Agency is the Blueprint to a First Round playoff exit, but not the NBA championship Prokhorov promised.

James Dolan: We Will Break You!

I'm loving the new Nets ownership. How can you not love Mikhail Prokhorov? First, he does a 60 Minutes interview where he does flips on a Jet Ski and says,

"And frankly speaking, I like women. In my heart I am still teenager. And I am very open and I don't want to hide this."

Then, in his first press conference after assuming control of the Nets, he promises a) that the Nets will make the playoffs next year, b) that the Nets will win a championship within three years, and c) he will turn Knicks fans into Nets fans.

In case James Dolan wasn't already wetting himself, Mikhail Prokhorov made sure that his presence would be felt every day with a new 222-by-95 foot billboard situated only a few blocks from Madison Square Garden with the Nets logo, himself, and Jay-Z that reads, "The Blueprint for Greatness"

The best part:

"The signage is strategically placed, according to sources with knowledge of the project, within the sight line of the Knicks' offices at the corner of 34th and 8th."

Maybe the Knicks shouldn't bring Allan Houston to Cleveland

According to reports, the Knicks are supposed to bring Allan Houston with them to Cleveland to help with their pitch to LeBron.

It sounds like a good idea, but maybe they should practice with him a little bit before they arrive...

The First of Many Sleepless Nights in the Sleepless City

Hi Everyone!

Welcome to Sleepless City Sports. This blog's goal is to be covering everything sports and more that takes place in "the city that never sleeps." Although this is our stated goal, we also are not afraid to veer from it from time to time and tackle topics off the beaten path.

Considering that tonight is eve of the start of the most anticipated Free Agency in sports history, and NBA GM's from around the league, and within the Tri-State area, will be getting very little sleep tonight and every night this week as they run up their frequent flyer miles, we decided why not kick this blog off with a little discussion of the NBA, and most specifically the New York Knicks and the New Jersey/Newark/Brooklyn (2012) Nets.

Ever since a slew of the NBA's youngest superstars decided to not sign Max deals for the maximum amount of years (six) and instead sign only four year extensions, GM's around the league took notice and started shifting their budgets, so that they could have a chance at signing one, if not two, of these young franchise players. Furthermore, when Danny Ainge helped the Celtics win a championship by pulling off the coup of acquiring Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen and finding a group of cheap players to surround his new "Big Three," a belief around the league became that if you went for broke and got a couple of franchise players, you could just worry about fielding a full squad down the line. These GMs embraced the comical mantra my friend James likes to say when he is in a bind, "I'm going to let future James handle that."

This now popular approach to "building" a team is at the forefront of the NBA's Free Agency period. The New York Knicks, New Jersey Nets, Miami Heat and Chicago Bulls have all used this blueprint in preparing for Free Agency. (Note: The Clippers have apparently been employing this philosophy since 1981 when Donald Sterling bought the team. I'm assuming they simply haven't fallen in love with any free agents since then. Right?) The irony of this go-for-broke mentality is that these teams gut themselves of many of the resources that would make it attractive for a player like Lebron James to come to their team in the first place.

For instance, the Miami Heat, after making a few financially driven trades, now have only two players under contract for next season, Mario Chalmers and Michael Beasley, while the Knicks have a staggering FOUR players under contract, Wilson Chandler, Eddy Curry, Toney Douglas and Danilo Gallinari. (Note: Bill Walker’s contract is also guaranteed if the Knicks keep him after Aug. 1, as is expected.) Basically, Donnie Walsh is going to be coming to Lebron Thursday in Ohio and saying,

"Lebron, do me a solid here. I've basically got rid of anyone with talent on this team so that we could sign you and whoever you want. In fact, I will be stepping down as GM, so you or William Wesley or Maverick Carter or whoever you want can become the GM and decide who you want on your team. I'm begging you, Lebron! I can't return to New York and tell our fans our starting line up is going to be Wilson Chandler, Eddy Curry, Toney Douglas, Danilo Gallinari and Bill Walker. You got to help me out."

Let's hope Donnie's husky voice with James Dolan playing the guitar in the background will make it sound more enticing than it reads.

Basically, in the end, the Knicks and its fans' hopes ride on one thing: has Lebron been lying this whole time in saying that his decision will be a "basketball decision?" If he hasn't been lying, sorry guys, we're screwed. Really, really screwed. If instead he does have a love affair with New York (not Newark), the Garden, and being New York City's first ever King, then get the confetti ready, the Canyon of Heroes is beckoning. Unfortunately, it's a much tougher sell than I think any of us would ever have predicted. In fact, if Donnie pulls this off, Obama should hire him to sell some of the new General Motors' cars. God knows, our economy could use it. However, if Donnie wants to have a shot, he might want to bring Larry Johnson with him.

Moving past the Knicks for a second--I know, how could I?--to the Nets, let's look at their approach to getting here and their plan of attack in Free Agency. (Note: First off, I have to admit that after the great Knick years in the 90s, right around the time Scott Layden handed over the cursed touch to Isaiah Thomas, I became a big Nets' fan when they made their two-year run in the NBA Finals. I've had a soft spot for them ever since. It didn't hurt either that Rod Thorn seemed to have a clue to what he was doing when the Knicks had none. Just had to get that out of the way.)

Unlike the Heat and the Knicks, the Nets actually have some players (more than four) on their roster that might inspire LeBron to think, these guys could be part of my "Big Three." While the Knicks have Danilo Galinari and the Heat have Michael Beasley, the Nets could offer only Brook Lopez and be able to whet the appetite of Lebron more than those players would. However, the Nets have more--both talent and number of players--in Devin Harris, No. 3 overall pick Derrick Favors, Courtney Lee, and last year's No. 1 pick, Terrence Williams. Although this group does not scream 2011 NBA CHAMPIONS NEW JERSEY NETS, they do form a strong young core that could complement a superstar talent or two admirably in creating a perennial Championship contender. Furthermore, unlike the Knicks, they have retained their first round draft picks in the coming years.

However, the Nets, like the Knicks, are banking on the same thing: LeBron's decison is not a basketball decision. If it is, the Nets can't really compete with the Bulls, Mavericks, or even Heat (assuming Dwayne Wade re-signs) on paper at this point. If, as they hope, LeBron's decisions is more than just a basketball one, in comes Jay-Z and Mikhail Prokhorov. (Note: Avery Johnson does not matter one way or the other here, really.)

It's really a new era in sports now where owners and players can actually be friends and break through the employer-employee barrier. It's not like Reggie Jackson was ever going to spend a night out on the town with The Boss, but that scenario is more than a possibility if LeBron joined the Nets. You're telling me Jay-Z and Mikhail Prokhorov could not put together one hell of a night? More importantly, though, if Lebron is looking to market himself and become a global icon, Prokhorov is a man to follow. With over $13 billion in his back pocket and the unbridled confidence to announce that "We are going to turn Knicks fans into Nets fans," you couldn't fault LeBron and his "team" for believing Prokhorov and the Nets to be their best bet to universal stardom.

It'll be interesting to see what happens, because no matter what transpires in this next week or so, we will finally learn on thing: what matters most to LeBron. All we can hope, as New Yorkers, is that it is something close to what either one of our teams can offer.