Q&A w/ Jae

[J@3]

There was no question in that post

Nothing. What leverage did they have? If he wanted to go to Miami to team with Bosh and Wade, they would have been beyond idiotic to trade for LeBron last season. Would any team in the league reject any sign-and-trade for the best player in the game? I can't see it. It'd leave them in ruins with every player for decades. It's not like LeBron was going to stick around Cleveland if it fell through.

Houston and Dallas came out saying they'd be willing to trade for Melo even if he wasn't going to re-sign with them, I'm sure teams would have done the same for LeBron. The positive in trading him last season would've been the Cavs could send him wherever they want, it'd be upto the other team to decide if they want to take the risk in essentially renting him for half a season. I bet the Knicks would've even gone for it with a similar package to what they offered for Melo just to get a head start on NJ/Miami and the Bulls when it comes to signing him.

I could pretty much guarantee you that if every NBA player of the past played under the current CBA and league they'd have done the same shit. WILT-BAYLOR-WEST? Wilt on the Sixers didn't just happen either.

I'd doubt it just because it's not like it happens often under this current CBA. For every spaz like Melo/LeBron (not Bosh, he's not a star) there's guys like Kobe, Durant, Dirk, Duncan, Steve Nash even (he was forced out of Dallas obv, would have stayed otherwise) who stick with their teams and want to win with them as the focal point. You think LeBron in his prime would have stayed with Cleveland if they were winning 35 games like the Lakers did after Shaq was traded? And the Deron Williams situation shows that some owners still have balls and aren't letting the inmates run the asylum. Deron didn't want to be in New Jersey, but too bad he's stuck there for one more season after this one. There's a chance he won't re-sign there but the Nets took that risk Utah made the move because they didn't want to be handcuffed next year and having to decide between trading him to whichever teams he hand picks.

LeBron's a life long bandwagoner (Yankees fan, Cowboys fan, Ohio State fan), I hope he never wins a championship

[NovU]

But Kobe also specifically pointed out the team that he wants to play for when drafted. Doesn't that make him Lebron in some ways? He also insisted to be traded when the team was losing. Lebron's needs and wants were just different. He wanted to win alongside his buddies and option to leave CLE was the only way. Kobe was little more selfish and wanted the better team plus the spot light all by himself not like Lebron who was willing to share the spot light with his friends. Kobe not being able to co-exist with Shaq proved it. Just saying Lebron and Bosh weren't the first to do this as benji already pointed out. But I agree that some star players have too much power over teams' business, which I think is inevitable anyways.

You canadiens

What's with you and your Canadien obsession these days? Relating to the topic, what's your impression on Canada, Jae?

[benji]

Houston and Dallas came out saying they'd be willing to trade for Melo even if he wasn't going to re-sign with them, I'm sure teams would have done the same for LeBron. The positive in trading him last season would've been the Cavs could send him wherever they want, it'd be upto the other team to decide if they want to take the risk in essentially renting him for half a season.

And what would they have got? Those teams all underbid the Knicks because they weren't going to rent Melo for half a season. Same thing would happened with LeBron. (More so since that was the year everyone built for, unlike this situation where Melo was working against the lockout, not his free agency.) Morey was convinced he could sell Melo on the team but he still underbid because he's not an idiot.

I'd doubt it just because it's not like it happens often under this current CBA. For every spaz like Melo/LeBron (not Bosh, he's not a star) there's guys like Kobe, Durant, Dirk, Duncan, Steve Nash even (he was forced out of Dallas obv, would have stayed otherwise) who stick with their teams

I should ban you this instant.

Every single one of those players stuck with their teams because they made far more money than they would if they left it and/or were long established. LEBRON SACRIFICED. I can't believe you left Kobe in that list considering what he made to stay with the Lakers. You'll sleep on the couch tonight for that.

You think LeBron in his prime would have stayed with Cleveland if they were winning 35 games like the Lakers did after Shaq was traded?

Fuck no, and that's why he ditched the 60 win team in one of the Earth's hellholes with nobody else who could make an All-Star team for sunny South Beach with his two friends who will attract everyone relevant over the next few years.

And the Deron Williams situation shows that some owners still have balls and aren't letting the inmates run the asylum. Deron didn't want to be in New Jersey, but too bad he's stuck there for one more season after this one. There's a chance he won't re-sign there

Or it shows that a Russian Billionaire will join the rest of his countrymen by throwing away a shit load of money on a poor investment?

but the Nets took that risk Utah made the move because they didn't want to be handcuffed next year and having to decide between trading him to whichever teams he hand picks.

So you're saying that if you're LeBron you declare prior to that 2009-10 season that you want out of Cleveland because you're going to Miami after the season? Or do you give them one last shot at convincing you to stay?

I HOPE YOU NEVER WIN A CHAMPIONSHIP.

[J@3]

And what would they have got? Those teams all underbid the Knicks because they weren't going to rent Melo for half a season. Same thing would happened with LeBron. (More so since that was the year everyone built for, unlike this situation where Melo was working against the lockout, not his free agency.) Morey was convinced he could sell Melo on the team but he still underbid because he's not an idiot.

LeBron is twice the player Melo is, there's no way some teams would have turned down the chance to have the best/most well known player in the league if even just for half a season. And really any team bidding for Melo would have underbid the Knicks because their deal was easily the best offer they could have received for it from the teams he would approve a move to.

Or it shows that a Russian Billionaire will join the rest of his countrymen by throwing away a shit load of money on a poor investment?

In Soviet Russia, money invests in you!

So you're saying that if you're LeBron you declare prior to that 2009-10 season that you want out of Cleveland because you're going to Miami after the season? Or do you give them one last shot at convincing you to stay?

I think the "right" thing to do would have been to indicate he was going to sign somewhere else, or was strongly looking at doing so (because lets face it he'd planned this Miami thing long in advance). They may have still kept him and gone for a championship but it would also have given them time to prepare for him possibly leaving. And I doubt they would've taken on someone like Jamison if they had known.

I'm going to win a championship before the so called King