Just hours after small forward and free agent Carmelo Anthony met with the Los Angeles Lakers, the New York Knicks had their own meeting with the player and offered him the most any team could – a five year contract worth $129 million, according to ESPN Sports.
If Melo accepts the offer, he would be one of the highest paid players in the NBA. The meeting ended with no word from Carmelo on whether he would accept the offer.
The Lakers are offering Carmelo $98 million for a 4 year contract, the highest offer they are allowed to make.
Accepting the Knicks offer would equal roughly $25.8-million a year for the NBA star, compared to around $24.2-million from the Lakers. With a little over $1 million a year difference, Melo’s decision on where to play rests more on the potential of winning a championship than the finances.
…next year that is. Yes, the 2013-2014 NBA season for the Los Angeles Lakers seems more like a throw away season. The Lakers have lost their “next in line” player in Dwight Howard, have an aging Gasol, Kobe, and Nash, and have no cap space to sign any big name player this free agency. Heck, looking at the Lakers roster right now any person would laugh at it. This of course is all part of the Lakers plan for the 2014 free agency period.
Probably the Lakers biggest free agent signing, Center Chris Kaman
After this coming season, the Lakers will have around $40 million in cap space and only two players under contract, Steve Nash ($9.7 million) and Robert Sacre ($915,243). The Lakers can even waive Nash since he’ll be in his final season and stretch his money owed and only take a $3.2 million dollar salary cap hit in 2014-2015. Kobe Bryant will be the only big question mark considering he seems to want to play another three to four seasons, so let’s just pencil him in for around $10-15 million.
Lebron can become a free agent after 2014 and the Lakers are gearing up for a run at him
Let me read off some big names who will be free agents in 2014: Lebron James, Kobe Bryant, Carmelo Anthony, Danny Granger, Loul Deng, Dirk Nowitzki and Dwayne Wade. The list continues if you want to add in the Restricted Free Agents which focus around up and coming stars like Kyrie Irving, John Wall, Eric Beldsoe, and Paul George; all of them though aren’t leaving their respected teams no matter what. The 2014 free agent class is massive in terms of star power to say the least and a team like the Lakers plan to take full advantage of it.
Teammates? It’s not as far fetched as you’d think
Let’s get this out of the way, Lebron James will not be taking his talents to L.A, that’s a total pipe dream. The same can be said for any of the young restricted free agents, especially Kyrie and Paul George. The only possible star the Lakers can land would be Carmelo Anthony. In his current tenure in New York, Melo hasn’t had incredible playoff success and coming to a town like L.A where he will be the man and be paired up with another super star is an intriguing offer to say the least. Plus, the Lakers can offer Melo a huge contract of four years and around $100 million dollars. It shall be a very interesting off season to say the least and the 2015 free agent class promises to be the same with players like Kevin Love, Rajon Rondo, and LeMarcus Aldridge becoming free agents. God I love the NBA.
Bynum was pursued by the Mavericks and Cavaliers this free agency
The Cleveland Cavaliers have officially signed Center Andrew Bynum to a two-year deal worth a total of $24.5 million. While this sounds like a risky deal for Cleveland, it’s actually a brilliant pick up.
A new team requires a new hair style
The details of the contract only guarantee Bynum $6 million dollars and one single year; Cleveland has given him an incentive heavy contract and holds the option for a second year. This ensures that Cleveland will have plenty of cap space come the 2014 free agency period to lure a big name free agent, Lebron James, and bring him back home. On top of ensuring plenty of cap space Cleveland now has, when healthy and engaged, easily one of the top five big men in the league.
Cleveland is clearly hoping for the Bynum who played in L.A to show up
Bynum, who didn’t play all of last season with the 76ers, was an up and coming All Star back in Los Angeles. In his final year in L.A he averaged 18.7 points, 11.8 rebounds, 1.9 blocks and made his first NBA All Star appearance. On top of all that he was also part of two NBA Championship teams during his tenure as a Laker. Andrew Bynum is a very good, if not nearly complete basketball package; he has a good post game on offense and is a big body to deal with on defense.
The Eastern Conference is becoming much more interesting…
..well actually the Clippers were quite a force for the past two seasons really but now they’ve just landed an amazing coach, Doc Rivers, from the Boston Celtics. Yes, after eight days and what seemed like constant “on then off again” trade talks, the deal has been reached between both teams to let Doc Rivers out of his current Boston contract and be able to sign with the L.A Clippers; In return the Celtics will be given a future unprotected 2015 first round draft pick.
Welcome to the Western Conference Doc
It’s clearly obvious that the Clippers got the best end of this deal; with the experience and resume of such a coach this will surely secure free agent to be Chris Paul into signing a long term contract with the Clippers, word on the internet is that he really pushed to get Doc Rivers on board. Back on the East Coast the Celtics seem like a boat without a rudder now. The team now lacks a head coach with a roster not fit to compete but in a total rebuilding mode; Veteran Paul Pierce may be bought out by the Celtics or traded at the deadline, Kevin Garnett may also be traded away. They also need to find a head coach, I do hope they give Brian Shaw a call and a much deserved chance.
Doc Rivers loved coaching Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce
I can’t help but feel sad for Boston fans. While they knew a total rebuild had to happen sooner rather than later, to be on the verge of losing a lot memorable faces must be hard, especially in such a fashion. I wish the best for Doc Rivers, Kevin Garnett, and Paul Pierce this up coming NBA season. Things will sure be different…
I will just like to put this out there now, I’m a big Lakers fan so pardon me if this article has any bias based opinions.
Back in August of last year the Dwight Howard to LA trade went down and my beloved Lakers went to the top of the charts and instant favorites to be serious contenders for our next NBA Championship. Our front court had the most dominant center in the league in Dwight Howard, the best passing big man in Pau Gasol; add to that one of the greatest shooters in NBA history in Steve Nash and one of the best to ever play the game in Kobe Bryant. Fast forward to April of this year and we are swept right out of the playoffs, the ones we just barely crept into, by the San Antonio Spurs. Now Laker Nation awaits July 1st when our next “franchise superstar” in Dwight Howard marches his way into free agency. After watching him this season, I say let him go.
How Laker Nation last saw Dwight during game 4 against the Spurs
This years free agency class is highlighted by Dwight Howard (seeing that Chris Paul will most likely stay with the Clippers) and the teams measuring their interest in the big man revolve around Los Angeles, Houston, and Dallas. Only the Lakers though can offer him their franchise max contract of five years with $118 million dollars along with their history of storied big men and the tradition of winning no matter what. Houston can offer four years with $98 million dollars and their young up and coming star in James Harden. Dallas can offer Dwight the same as Houston. From a money point of view the Lakers are the clear-cut winners and from a historical point of view the Lakers also are clear winners; from a pure basketball point of view though Houston are clear winners as they only need a man like Dwight to contend in the West.
Dwight Howard received a lot of punishment from the media for leaving Orlando the way he did, is that bound to repeat?
Statistically Dwight Howard has been declining over, especially over the past season. Between 2008-2011 Dwight took his Magic team to one Final appearance and a 219-102 record; over the past two seasons with the Magic and Lakers he’s finished with a total 75-55 record. Wow. His offensive production has also dipped sharply; in 2011 he averaged 22.9 PPG, 14.1 RPG, and a 59% FG. In 2013 he was averaging 17.1 PPG, 12.4 RPG, while shooting %58 from the field. Dwight has clearly past his peak production and no team should commit such a large amount of their salary cap or build their team around a star who has already started dropping off. Of course..the Lakers are run by Jim Buss so that’s still possible.
Looking past the numbers it isn’t hard to see that Dwight just cannot handle the pressure of playing in L.A. Playing for the Lakers, especially to be the next franchise player, means you must live up to some huge names and live up to the Laker tradition of winning. The Lakers, since 1960, have sent 25 teams to the NBA Finals, won 11 championships, and have had our court graced by the likes of Jerry West, Elgin Baylor, Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, and Shaquille O’Neal. To top that all off the L.A Lakers have had four of the ten best basketball teams ever (’72, ’82, ’87, ’01), have been run by one of the greatest owners in history by Jerry Buss, and have been coached by the future Hall of Famer in Phil Jackson. If all that wasn’t hard enough to live up to as the next franchise player in Los Angeles, Dwight Howard would be filling the void of the greatest Laker of all time in Kobe Bryant. It’s sad to say that faced with any type of pressure a man like Dwight Howard who stands six foot and eleven inches shrinks back to a normal height.
Perhaps the self-proclaimed “Superman” isn’t so “super” anymore
No matter what the media is saying about the pending free agency of Dwight Howard and no matter what team does land the big man, it will be a question if the team wants to roll the dice on Howard or chooses to pass. Houston is the clear basketball choice for Howard as that team is young and ready to make an even bigger splash next season than they did this past season. A James Harden – Dwight Howard combo would be a mighty force to reckon with no matter who they face. As for my beloved Lakers please Jim Buss do not even approach the table and pick up the dice.
There is no doubt in any NFL fan’s mind that Aaron Rodgers is the best Quarterback in the league right now and he is expecting a big huge check coming his way from the Green Bay Packers. I can’t sit here and argue that he isn’t deserving of that money; Rodgers is a three-time Pro Bowler, passed for 4,295 yards with 39 touchdowns last season while leading his Packers to their fourth straight playoff appearance. This man deserves his money and will no doubt be getting it soon.
Move over Joe, Aaron Rodgers is coming with his fat paycheck
Over the offseason Joe Flacco was signed to a $120.6 million dollar deal by the Baltimore Ravens where he is going to be making $20.6 million a year. That deal was historic in NFL history since it made Flacco the highest paid player ever. Ever. Now Rodgers gets to have that title and plans to smash Flaccos small deal into last year. Even though his current contract extends through 2014 and gives him $19.75 million through though last two years, the Packers plan to extend that contract and give him a contract (of unknown length) coupled with $21 million per year, if not more!
The Packers are still trying to hash out all the details of Rodger’s contract extension and hope to have him signed before the season starts. The latest news coming from the sides was that they were still $2 million apart. Once they finalize that contract details they will more than likely turn their attention to Linebacker Clay Matthews and defensive end B.J. Raji. Rumors are that those three contracts will total around a quarter of a billion dollars
Linebacker Clay Matthews will more than likely be given an extension through his 2013 contract
As a Packers fan you must rejoice over having the best Quarterback in the league locked down and what looks like being able to finish his career where it started. On the flip side though you must be wary of the fact these contracts will eat a huge chunk of an already small cap space which sits at $17,799,553 for the 2013 season. Only time will tell if Green Bay’s choice to empty their wallet for Rodgers will pay off. As for Rodgers, I don’t think he could be any happier.
The Mariners are in the process of making sure the Yankees don’t get their greedy hands on the teams most prized asset. Soon, the team will finalize an extension for Felix Hernandez that would add up to 7 Years and $175 million. This contract makes the young righty the highest paid pitcher in Baseball. Yes, even more than C.C. Sabathia, Clayton Kershaw or even Justin Verlander.
Believe me, I understand the move. He is by far the best player on that team and he’s what keeps the fans coming to the ball park. So as far the team is concerned, they have to make that deal. Even if it is way too much money. At 26, I don’t see how a righty can possibly have proven to be worth the money they have thrown at him.
Further more, I can’t understand King Felix not at least testing out the free agent market. He was going to make a big paycheck regardless. I don’t see how he could not want to try to put himself in a position to win. Unless he thinks the team can win in the next seven years. If so, he sees more potential in the team than I or most do. Testing free agency is just something that makes sense for his situation but I suppose a record breaking contract can keep someone in one place especially if that person is comfortable.
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