Sources: Cavaliers close to deal for Stoudemire

[blazzin311]

Found this, this morning for those interested. I'd have to think that if the Cavs got Stoudemire it for sure makes them the favorites to win the Eastern Conference.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4913305

Updated: February 14, 2010, 2:57 AM ET
Sources: Hickson, Ilgauskas to Suns

By Chris Broussard
ESPN The Magaazine
Archive
The Cleveland Cavaliers and Phoenix Suns are closing in on a deal that would send All-Star forward Amare Stoudemire to Cleveland, according to sources with knowledge of the negotiations.

Stoudemire

The Cavaliers would send Zydrunas Ilgauskas and J.J. Hickson to Phoenix in exchange for Stoudemire, one of the league's most dominant big man.

While Cleveland remains in talks with several other teams, the club, from management down to the players, has settled on Stoudemire as its first choice.

The ball is in Phoenix's court. The Suns are mulling whether the financial relief provided by Ilgauskas's $12 million contract and the young and talented Hickson are enough for them to part with Stoudemire.

Cleveland believes the addition of Stoudemire would all but seal LeBron James' re-signing with the team when he becomes a free agent this summer. The Cavaliers are also prepared to sign Stoudemire, who has one year and $17 million remaining on his contract, to a long-term contract extension once the season ends.

The Suns will likely waive Ilgauskas, which would allow him to be re-signed by Cleveland after 30 days.

Cleveland is also talking with Washington about acquiring Antawn Jamison, as well as Indiana about Troy Murphy. Meanwhile, Golden State is trying to entice the Cavs into taking Corey Maggette for Ilgauskas.

[Rudy tossed tigger's salad]

tough to see Landry go, but Im liking Martin ok and the Draft picks a lot. Great job Knicks! Good luck with all that available money!

[DaKCMan AP]

Originally Posted by billay

I say Lebron stays in Cleveland but D.Wade comes back home. That'd be awesome to have Rose & D.Wade both from Chicago.

I don't see it happening. I think both stay put.

[Chiefs Pantalones]

Originally Posted by billay

I say Lebron stays in Cleveland but D.Wade comes back home. That'd be awesome to have Rose & D.Wade both from Chicago.

Yeah I hope something happens. That's why Chicago is doing this. We just traded Tyrus Thomas to the Bobcats. We're making a serious run for LeBron, Wade and Bosh this summer. Hopefully we get two of them. Everything is set in place, they just gotta wine and dine and give them the dough.

[Basileus777]

Originally Posted by Vanilla Thunder

Yeah I hope something happens. That's why Chicago is doing this. We just traded Tyrus Thomas to the Bobcats. We're making a serious run for LeBron, Wade and Bosh this summer. Hopefully we get two of them. Everything is set in place, they just gotta wine and dine and give them the dough.

The Bulls don't have enough cap room to sign 2 max free agents. You needed to get rid of Deng/Hinrich to do that. They only cleared off Salmons's player option worth 5.8 mil.

[Titty Meat]

Originally Posted by Vanilla Thunder

Yeah I hope something happens. That's why Chicago is doing this. We just traded Tyrus Thomas to the Bobcats. We're making a serious run for LeBron, Wade and Bosh this summer. Hopefully we get two of them. Everything is set in place, they just gotta wine and dine and give them the dough.

I always thought they should have traded for Garnett a few years ago when Heinrich was real good, Ben Gordon, ect.

[Chiefs Pantalones]

Originally Posted by Basileus777

The Bulls don't have enough cap room to sign 2 max free agents. You needed to get rid of Deng/Hinrich to do that. They only cleared off Salmons's player option worth 5.8 mil.

Hinrich is gone (sadly, GO KU!) this summer. As well as some of these other contract year players we traded for. They better find a way.

[Basileus777]

Originally Posted by Vanilla Thunder

Hinrich is gone (sadly, GO KU!) this summer. As well as some of these other contract year players we traded for. They better find a way.

Hinrich is under contract for another two years.

http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=9193

Salmons contract was the thing the Bulls cleared, Thomas was already expiring.

[Mecca]

The funny thing is in todays NBA, you're better off in the Knicks position than say the Bulls position, they can go offer 2 max contracts and then all they need is role players.

[Basileus777]

Originally Posted by Mecca

The funny thing is in todays NBA, you're better off in the Knicks position than say the Bulls position, they can go offer 2 max contracts and then all they need is role players.

Not really. The Bulls can only sign one max free agent, but they actually have talent on their roster. The Knicks only have Douglas, Chandler, Curry, and Gallinari under contract.

The best case scenario would leave the Knicks with this roster:

Douglas
Chandler
LeBron
Gallinari
Bosh/Curry

+ vet minimum and no draft picks

New York or not, why should any superstar want to leave a better team and take less money to play with that crap?

[Mecca]

Originally Posted by Basileus777

Not really. The Bulls can only sign one max free agent, but they actually have talent on their roster. The Knicks only have Douglas, Chandler, Curry, and Gallinari under contract.

The best case scenario would leave the Knicks with this roster:

Douglas
Chandler
LeBron
Gallinari
Bosh/Curry

+ vet minimum

New York or not, why should any superstar want to leave a better team and take less money to play with that crap?

If you haven't noticed that's generally how the NBA does things. There are very few teams that could survive without it's star, Cleveland without Lebron is a horrible team.

[Basileus777]

Originally Posted by Mecca

If you haven't noticed that's generally how the NBA does things. There are very few teams that could survive without it's star, Cleveland without Lebron is a horrible team.

There's only been a handful of stars that have ever left their team in free agency. The Cavs have a better supporting cast around LeBron than the Knicks will be able to put around him for the next few years.

[Mecca]

That's true for the current moment but it took Cleveland years to give him decent players.

Someone will sign with the Knicks, it's NY, people care about the money potential that brings.

[Basileus777]

Originally Posted by Mecca

That's true for the current moment but it took Cleveland years to give him decent players.

Someone will sign with the Knicks, it's NY, people care about the money potential that brings.

Someone will sign. But if they get Joe Johnson and Rudy Gay, Walsh's plan has been a failure. It's LeBron/Wade/Bosh or bust.

[Mecca]

I think they'll get one of the 3, it's probably more likely to be Bosh than Lebron but weird things can happen sometimes.

Of course I have an idiot friend who likes the Knicks who doesn't want Lebron of course he hates Arod too, what's with idiot people from New York?

['Hamas' Jenkins]

There is a rumor that LeBron has a $50 million option in his Nike contract if he signs w/ a team in NY or LA.

Not likely, but it's an interesting theory.

More importantly, if I'm LeBron, I'm going to the Clippers, not the Knicks.

Let's see:

Baron Davis, Chris Kaman, Eric Gordon, Blake Griffin

or

Nothing.