Chris Bosh is talking the Knicks’ language.
A report yesterday out of the Chicago draft combine said Bosh gave Raptors management a list of five teams he would like to play for, with the Knicks being on it, and he prefers to go where fellow mega-free agent LeBron James goes.
Because the Knicks have the most cap room in the league at $34 million, the Knicks are best equipped to handle the acquisition of the superstar tandem of James and Bosh. It was the dream team president Donnie Walsh envisioned at the trading deadline when he made the tough decision to send lottery pick Jordan Hill to the Rockets in order to free enough cap space to sign two maximum free agents.
However, Bosh gave the Raptors the list so they could start plotting sign-and-trade scenarios that would allow Bosh to get the maximum length on a free-agent contract — six years instead of five.
That also could give the Knicks an edge over the Bulls because the Knicks have more cap space and more flexibility in a sign-and-trade. It is also known the Raptors have interest in Knicks free agent David Lee in a potential Bosh sign-and-trade, though Lee would have to agree to play in Canada, which is not a given.
At All-Star weekend in 2009, James was asked which player he would most enjoy playing with and named Bosh. James also petitioned the Cavaliers to trade for another free agent, the Suns’ Amar’e Stoudemire, at the trade deadline, and odds are Stoudemire will move on, too.
“If LeBron decides to go to either New York or Chicago, I think that’s where you’ll see Chris land,” a source told ESPN.com. “If LeBron stays in Cleveland, I think the process is more wide open.”
Bosh’s list reportedly has Toronto on it, but most NBA sources feel he will leave. Raptors fans gave him a tepid ovation during the season finale on April 14 when the crowd was prompted to cheer for his return.
The Knicks, Bulls, Lakers and Heat also are on the list. All but the Lakers have available cap space to sign Bosh, who could pair with Derrick Rose in Chicago and Dwyane Wade in Miami. But those are not exactly like teaming with King James in New York.
Maverick Carter, James’ childhood friend, business chief and integral member of his inner circle, tried quelling recent rumors about James’ future, most notably the erronrous report that Kentucky coach John Calipari was being used as leverage to sign James in Chicago.
“All these rumors out there are absolutely untrue,” Carter said. “LeBron just wants to win. He doesn’t want to handpick his next coach.”
Meanwhile, Mavericks owner Mark Cuban’s public remarks about James have landed him in hot water for potential tampering. League spokesman Tim Frank said the league is reviewing Cuban’s comments to CNNMoney.com in which he expressed an interest in James.
In 2008, the league sent a memo with specific guidelines on discussing potential free agents publicly before July 1. Commissioner David Stern said at the draft lottery that the rules will be enforced.
In fact, Walsh is so afraid of the tampering rule, he has told confidants the league could deny them the right to sign the free agent in question. The NBA also could fine a team $5 million.
Cuban said he is hoping James forces a sign-and-trade to pacify the Cavs, giving the over-the-cap Mavs a shot.
“Come July 1, yeah, of course, anybody would be interested in LeBron James,” Cuban said. “If he does like I’m guessing, hoping he will, which is say, ‘I’m not going to leave the Cavs high and dry’ — there’s still a better chance he stays — then he’ll try to force a sign-and-trade, and that gives us a chance.”
*
Cleveland Browns legend Jim Brown said on WVIE Radio in Ohio that he thinks James is a goner.
“It’s so unfortunate that a man that’s got so much would feel so bad right now because of what he couldn’t do. I think he’s being treated unfairly,” Brown said. “I think the expectations were too high, and I don’t think he’s gonna stay in Cleveland because of it. I think as one man, there’s only so much you can do, and for people to analyze you and to say humiliating things about you, when you’ve given all those things through the years to that franchise, I think it’s an atrocity.”