Shanoff's Wake-Up Call: Nets Draft ... LeBron?

As a Cleveland fan, I’m not sure that I’m ready to believe that LeBron is going to turn his back on his hometown fans just to please his boy Jay-z. I think this is a very opinionated blog that has more to do with your personal interest and assumptions than it does with reality. As a Cleveland fan, it gets a little bit tiring to constantly have to read about our best athletes moving to New York almost by default.

Contrary to popular belief, Cleveland is not the farm system for the rest of the sports world. We are some of the most loyal and dedicated fans that exist in all of sports. I’m speaking for the rest of us when I say that we are tired of being overlooked and we are tired of reading garbage like this. This blog is nothing more than a lame attempt to fire up the media machine about something that is 2 years away from even being a possibility. I hope you get all of the “hits” you were hoping for with this garbage.

browns_4_life, I am a lifelong Cleveland fan as well and by now I have come to expect the worst. I’m going to enjoy the next two years of LeBron and then stop watching the NBA when he moves to the Nets.

@browns_4_life: I appreciate your take on being a Cleveland fan — while I root for New York teams, I can absolutely imagine how much it must suck to always hear that your stars are going somewhere else.

On the other hand, I’m a little surprised that you don’t seem to get what Mr. Shanoff and his TSB compatriots are paid to do — yes, there are opinions here, and that’s OK; in fact (and perhaps Mr. Mottram can set me straight if I’m wrong), I believe it’s required.

You can read AP stories or game wrap-ups for the who/what/when/where, but bloggers, like columnists, are asked to offer some insight as to why things happened and what they mean. And especially in the case of the Nets/Bucks trade — which initially caused some to scratch their heads and ask why Jersey would give up a bonafide scorer for a busted-up bench piece and an unproven Asian big — deducing the ulterior motive is pretty important. Shanoff’s take makes sense, even if it does suck for Cleveland fans. Can you offer a refutation, or an alternate explanation, for the Nets’ moves? I’d love a dialogue.

And while I don’t doubt that a lot of Cleveland fans are bummed at the prospect of losing LeBron, you may want to take an informal head count before you start saying that you speak for any large group of people. As the blog-on-blog crime of the last week has shown, people (including our host) generally prefer to speak for themselves.

OK—-so LeBron supposedly will leave Cleveland because they won’t give him a championship team to compete on. What makes anyone believe that the Nets will do ANY better? Seems to me that the Nets are WAY further away from a ring than the Cavs.

The Nets can unload pieces all they want and clear up space—but what about what he’ll play with.

I think this crap is wishful thinking and premature at best.

it’s actually more of an issue with dan shanoff hating everything ohio (and being a total douche).

but aside from that, moving to the Nets would be a lateral move for LBJ. why would he go to a team, vapid of talent when he just built a mega-mansion here and the team is hell-bent on surrounding him with whatever talent they can acquire?

the cavs have a bunch of expiring deals, and if you don’t think that michael redd or some other big name talent languishing in purgatory wouldnt jump at the chance to play with lebron, youre fooling yourself.

we live in a small world, LBJ, even if he stays in cleveland is still only an hour flight from NYC, and what would he really be losing? he’s already the most visable athlete in the game, and he’s in cleveland.

this story is a media created story, nothing more. sure it has some weight, but until it actually happens, it’s BS. and IF there is some collusion between Jay-Z and LBJ, then the NBA’s office needs to get involved because you can’t have that happening between an owner and a player like this. of course Stern wouldn’t do that, because he’s all about the $$$, but it’s not right.

Spencer096-

People want to make such a big deal of the fact that LeBron is friends with Jay-Z. Big deal. He’s friends with a lot of people and he has BLOOD /family in Ohio.

The truth is for every argument the media makes for him leaving, there’s one for him to stay. That doesn’t make for much of a story unless you mix in a bunch of nonsensical posturing.

im sure LBJ is just drooling over the aspect of playing for a 20-30 win team in 2 years! oh but he can make more money in NY,well the cavs can still offer more $$ then any other team and how stupid are people to believe that sponsors from NY wont come here for LBJ—-he transcends the sport he will get $$ anywhere

im just surprised that shanoff took his lips off of will leithch’s dick long enough to type this post…

see posting your shitty blog and and im sure all those deadspin handjobs will pay off for ya!

In 2 years, the Nets will have a seasoned Devin Harris, a stable of young bigs who would hopefully have improved – Yi, Lopez, Kristic, Boone, Williams, Anderson, possibly the veteran outside threat of Vince Carter, CDR as the backup swing and a huge hole at the 3. Cleveland is much older all around so in 2 years, Z, Wallace and Wally will be gone. Gibson, Varejeo and Delonte West aren’t keeping him there. JJ Hickson will be interesting though. The question will be what other teams will lineup for him and provide a better shot.

LOL…macnak. The Cavs will have a lot more $$$ flexibility after this next season. I suggest you do more research. You think they’ll sit on their hands and risk losing James? This team isn’t Dolan’s Indians.
Just remember that the Cavs have the right to match any offer.

Bron is gone. I’m coming to terms with it. The failure to pull the trigger on a deal that matters so far — not that junk at last year’s deadline — or even draft well (Thanks, Danny Ferry) means LeBron will almost certainly walk. In all seriousness, no one is more responsible for this than Danny Ferry.

Sorry Cleveland, LeBron is moving on like the Browns did. The NY media market is too tempting to LeBron and Nike.

I think the Cavs will do all that they can to keep James. But if he wants out of Cleveland and may have the NY market (Nets are not a done deal in Brooklyn), the Nets/Sweathogs might be a good fit, owner, team, money and marketwise. The way I look at it, Cleveland has wasted the last 2-3 years by not getting the right players – athletic bigs and shooters – for Lebron to win with, starting with the Larry Hughes signing. What basis do I have to think they will get Lebron some support to keep him home?

First and foremost, the Browns didn’t move on. The Ravens did. Secondly, all this Lebron talk is crazy. No one knows what will happen, not 5 star members or TSN staff. Lebron has no problem making money, thats a fact. Its amazing that the same people that think he is over-rated are the ones hoping he comes to their town. Time will tell.

What exactly is the “NY Media Market” and why would it be so tempting to LeBron?

Have you noticed how much LeBron actually deals with the media? With the exception of post-game interviews, you don’t see him embracing the media….at all. For one of the most popular athletes in the universe, LeBron actually lives a relatively quiet life away from the national spotlight, in Akron. Everybody around here knows that LBJ doesn’t want to be bothered when he is out at a restaurant, or shopping at the Summit Mall. I wonder if the idea of being stalked and hounded by the “media” 24/7 is really that tempting to such a quiet celebrity. Has anybody given that any thought? Or are you too busy pre-ordering season tickets for 2010?

browns_4_life — Getting into a larger media market such as NYC does big things to LeBron’s Nike deal. $$$. It has nothing to do with a love of the New York Post or something.

You don’t know what going to New York does for LeBron’s Nike deal. It is all rumor. The Cavs played Boston tougher than anyone else in the playoffs, losing a close game 7. Not bad for a team that hasn’t surrounded Bron with “anything”. It’s comical to read all these stories about teams doing everything to get LeBron when he still has two more years on his contract. People act as though he’s dying to leave Cleveland. He already signed one extension. Good luck in the future New York. In 2010 you get to root for 2 lottery teams.

2010. LeBron James has a $17,149,243 player option with the cleveland cavs. LeBron will have to decide if he wants to stay with his hometown cavs, or if he wants to head to new york city where both the knicks and the nets are positioning themselves to have cap room to sign the king.

as a cleveland fan, if i could choose between the nets or cavs roster to surround LeBron with, i would take new jersey’s team.

i’d pick Z over any other player from either team, but the rest of the cavs roster is weak. boobie has value, delonte would be better playing 25 minuets a night as opposed to your lead guard, verrajo brings what he does, but outside of that cleveland has few assets. they are not a championship caliber team, and with out LeBron, they’d be a 60 loss team.

the cavs has shown a willingness to spend money to surrond LeBron with talent, they had the fourth highest payroll in the league last season, and agreed to pay luxury tax dollars as a result of gm danny ferry’s lousy trade in feburary (how do you trade six players, and not bring an all-star back?).
 
also, cleveland is NOT in good cap position, they have $80+ million committed for next year, and $50+ million committed to five players for the following year, they do have 2010 cap room, so they could push to sign a dewayne wade, chris bosh, or carmello anthony, but by then it could be too late.
http://hoopshype.com/salaries/cleveland.htm
(and damn, isiah really (expletive) the knicks up, couldn’t even look at)

danny ferry, who frankly has a poor track record, could be the most important influence on LeBron’s decision, if he can’t improve the quality of the team, it makes it much easier for LeBron to leave.

new jersey did well drafting brook lopez and brian anderson, two young bigs that will have a couple of years to develop. devin harris is on the verge of becoming an all-star. vince carter will be old by 2010, but perhaps he’d be inclined to try or put forth effort if LeBron was joining the team. yi, even if he doesn’t develop, connects the new york and china’s markets.

no one can deny that the nets are positing themselves to make a run for LeBron, even at the expense of losing for the next two years, which would yield two more high draft picks.

the knicks new president donnie walsh’s main responsability will be to repair the devastating wreckage left behind by isiah thomas, and get the team in cap position for LeBron to save the franchise.

make no mistake about it, this is about money. LeBron WILL make more money in new york then he will cleveland. nyc has the whole madison avenue cash cow. new york has 10x the population of cleveland. new york has 10000000x the money of cleveland. LeBron has single-handidly turned cleveland into a ‘big’ market city/team, but compaing cleveland to new york is like comparing deshawn stevenson to LeBron James.

LeBron Inc, LRMR Marketing, and King James Inc. all will have substancially more business opportunities in new york’s market, which would enhance LeBron’s goal of becoming a billion-dollar athlete. LeBron was third on SI.com’s “fortunate 50” list of the highest-earning u.s. athletes, his $41 million was more than three times less than what tiger woods made.

if you are a cleveland fan, i advise against reading the following article
http://money.cnn.com/2007/11/28/news/newsmakers/lebron_james.fortune/index.htm

(while on the LeBron/advertising thing, where the hell has nike been? they had a new commercial of LeBron when the season started, but nothing since. wouldn’t you think that LeBron playing in playoff games would be a good time for a new spot?)

if LeBron’s goal is to become a global icon, his chances are better operating out of new york, and he can always keep his multi-million dollar mansion in akron.

if i had to bet, i’d say he’s leaving cleveland…

It’s amazing that Danny Ferry could ruin the Cavs twice, once as a player and once as a GM.

The title of this blog on the NBA front page says Knicks instead of Nets. I don’t know if anyone will read this comment that has the power to fix it, though.

First off I think the main problem is that people think that you have to live in New York or LA to succeed in anything. Two of the richest people in the world (Bill Gates and Warren Buffett) live far away from either city. People also forget that Lebron has looked for and received guidance from Warren Buffett in the past. Lebron is smart enough to understand that it’s not wise to make business decisions on the basis of being friends with someone. Maybe it’s just me, but I don’t think NY or NJ has a very good upside. NY has so many terrible contracts that it screams bad situation waiting to happen. If any of you think that Cleveland is doing a bad job of surrounding Lebron with talent, what do you think the Knick brass could do? Plus they just hired a run & gun coach who hasn’t proven that his European style of play can win a championship. NJ has no players on their roster other than Harris and Yi that is remotely attractive assets. Vince Carter clearly isn’t the type of player that you can call blue collar. If he’s still on the roster Lebron will never go there. Remember Lebron & Jason Kidd are good friends. If Kidd thought VC was soft, what do you think he would tell Lebron about him? The draft picks they picked up were cute, but no one with an ounce of basketball intelligence really thinks these players are going to be more than borderline role players. Which good free agents are going to go to any of those places with the rosters they have. No one is going to even trade all star caliber players for the pieces they have on those two rosters. Lebron is from Northeast Ohio. His main focus is to put Akron on the map. He’s the most recognizable figure in Cleveland. He’s just another celebrity in NY. MJ was able to revolutionalize NIKE and he never played in NY. Lebron is a trailblazer not a trend follower (please remember that). Another thing everyone has to remember is that the author of this blog is a wizards fan.