Chicago: Joe Johnson, Chris Bosh
New Jersey: LeBron, David Lee
New York: Amare, Ray Allen
Miami: Carlos Boozer, Wade
NJ just selected Derrick Favors. Why the heck would they sign David Lee? Why would LeBron go there?
Because I heckin' say so. Its not being graded, its just what we think will happen.
But if you wanna get all rational about it, New Jersey has Devin Harris, Courtney Lee, Derrick Favors, Yi Jianlian, Terrance Willaims, Damion James and Brook Lopez under contract next season...that works out to be right around 27 million dollars.
The Nets took the BPA, but Derrick Favors as a rookie is not going to be within spitting distance of David Lee as a player now.
If you look at the Nets roster, they're obviously going to try to shed one or all of Kris Humphries and Yi Jianlian, so that leaves a front court rotation of
Lee/Favors/Damion James
Lopez
I don't think that makes David Lee redundant at all. Favors could play the 4 when Lee moves over to the 5, and he could play the 4 when Lee is out. James will get mins sparingly.
I think LeBron goes there because
Harris
Courtney Lee
LeBron James
David Lee
Brook Lopez
is not miles behind
Rose
?
LeBron
Bosh
Noah
I mean, the Bulls lineup is better, but its not head and shoulders better. Harris is worse than Rose, but Lee is better than "?", and Bosh is better than Lee, but Lopez is better than Noah.
But on top of that, New Jersey doesn't have Micheal Jordan's statue in front of the yet to be completed Brooklyn venue, and New Jersey has right now the "sexiest" owner in the NBA. Prokorov is new, he's exotic, he's relatively young, and he's obscenely rich. He's charming the media, fans are excited about him, and it looks like he is really leading his franchise.
Ask yourself, if you could play for any owner in the NBA, regardless of team, who would it be? I would go Mark Cuban then Wyc...until Prokorov. Now it is Prokorov Cuban.
Understand as much as LeBron is asking himself who he is going to be playing next to, he's also asking himself who he is going to be playing for, and I don't mean the city. Players that have confidence in owners are happy players. Player that don't have confidence in owners are not.
For a man who wants to be the first NBA player to become a billionaire, he could not choose a better owner. Prokorov could bring the James brand global. The team will be moving to Brooklyn in 2012 (or 2013..whatever), and Prokorov is the most wealthy owner in the NBA. He will not be shy about committing to players and personnel who want to win.
