Offseason blueprint: Big spenders

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ESPN Insider

Offseason blueprint: Big spenders
The Knicks, Heat, Bulls and Nets have money to burn.
By Chris Broussard and Ric Bucher
ESPN The Magazine

New York Knicks
by Chris Broussard

Objective: Land two top-notch free agents who will make them an immediate contender in the Eastern Conference.

Assets: $34.1 million in cap space and two second-round picks (Nos. 38 and 39).

The plan: The priority is to sign LeBron James and Chris Bosh. Of the available free agents, LeBron wants to play with Bosh most, and vice versa. That's the biggest advantage the Knicks have going for them: They're the only team that can sign both players to maximum-salaried deals outright.

But who would play alongside those two stars in New York? Right now, the Knicks have only Danilo Gallinari, Wilson Chandler, Toney Douglas and Eddy Curry under contract. That means they'll have to sign more than six players to minimum-salaried contracts just to fill out the roster. The Knicks hope that if they land James and Bosh, other quality free agents would be willing to give up cash for a title shot. But players aren't going to take less money to play in New York, especially with a new collective bargaining agreement that's likely to be unfavorable for the players coming down the pike. And that lack of depth likely will lead James and Bosh to sign elsewhere.

A more realistic scenario may be signing Amare Stoudemire and Joe Johnson. Both flourished under Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni in the past, and while they wouldn't bring promise of a championship, they'd immediately make the Knicks a relevant playoff team and give the team a foundation upon which to build.

Alternative advice: Some say that if the Knicks don't get James or Dwyane Wade, they should save their money to make a run at some big names next summer. With Curry's contract set to expire, the Knicks could have more cap room in 2011, when players such as Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Durant, Aaron Brooks and Al Horford could be free agents.

Even if the Knicks don't add a big-name free agent or two, they'll be in position to improve their team by virtue of their cap room, which they can use to make financially lopsided trades. The Knicks should look into persuading a cash-strapped club like New Orleans to send Chris Paul to New York to dump salary, especially because the prevailing thought around the league is that Paul will eventually leave the Hornets via free agency and that the Hornets already have a cheap but effective replacement in Darren Collison.

Or, if the Knicks sign Johnson and either Stoudemire or Carlos Boozer, they may want to start monitoring Gilbert Arenas' situation in Washington. If Arenas plays well during the first half of the 2010-11 season, showing no lingering issues from his various knee injuries, the Knicks could trade Curry's expiring contract and a few other pieces (to make the money work) for Arenas, who is unlikely to be a long-term fit with John Wall, the Wizards' probable No. 1 pick. Arenas, who just turned 28 years old, would be a great fit in D'Antoni's system, and his charismatic personality would play well in New York.




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New Jersey Nets
by Chris Broussard

Objective: Make an immediate splash in free agency to jump-start new owner Mikhail Prokhorov's bid to not only take over the New York metro area but also turn the Nets into a global power.

Assets: $26.8 million of cap space and picks No. 3, 27 and 31 in the draft.

The plan: With Prokhorov claiming that the Nets will win a title within five years, they're thinking bigger than ever. That means they're targeting LeBron, too.

Like the Knicks, the Nets will try to sell James on the off-the-court benefits of being in the New York metropolitan area, as well as their impending move to Brooklyn, where he could take over the city. But unlike the Knicks, the Nets have much more to offer.

In addition to the benefits of accessing the global market off the court via the Russian-born Prokhorov, on the court the Nets are already blessed with solid talent, starting with onetime All-Star point guard Devin Harris and 19-point, nine-rebound center Brook Lopez. Plus, they'll add a solid player in Thursday's draft. Some would argue that's already more talent around LeBron than he's had in Cleveland, where he won 127 regular-season games in the past two seasons. All that, and the Nets still would have $10 million to sign another free agent or two. Ray Allen would be in the mix.

Alternative advice: Although the above plan looks nice in theory, the Nets aren't the favorites to get LeBron. So, in the likely event that they don't get him, why not go after David Lee or Carlos Boozer? Lee has proved he can be a double-double guy without having plays run for him, which would work well with Harris and Lopez as the primary scoring options, while Boozer is a legit 20-10 guy. The Nets could then draft Wesley Johnson at small forward (if Evan Turner doesn't fall to them) and still retain roughly $15 million to spend next summer.



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Chicago Bulls
by Ric Bucher

Objective: Add inside and outside scoring threats.

Assets: $20.5 million in cap space and the No. 17 pick in the draft.

The plan: Other than LeBron, Hawks free agent Joe Johnson appears to be their next choice among perimeter scorers, which is understandable; his range (deep) and personality (quiet) would create space for Derrick Rose to penetrate without creating a conflict in leadership. If Atlanta agrees to a sign-and-trade -- with Kirk Hinrich the principal piece going back to the Hawks -- the Bulls would have enough cap room to sign a low-post threat (Boozer or Bosh) in addition to landing Johnson.

Alternative advice: There's no need to rush into picking up a low-post threat if it means overpaying for one, and there's a good chance of that happening this year. It would be better to add a few more shooters via free agency -- Kyle Korver, Channing Frye -- who can space the floor and let Rose do the rest, scoring in the paint off penetration. It wouldn't hurt to add some experienced size and toughness on the front line; both Heat power forward Udonis Haslem and Mavs center Brendan Haywood are free agents, and word is Haywood wants to return to the Eastern Conference.




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Miami Heat
by Chris Broussard

Objective: Add one or two stars to play alongside Dwyane Wade.

Assets: $23.9 million worth of cap space and four draft picks (Nos. 18, 41, 42 and 48).

The plan: Imagine James, Wade and Bosh playing together. It's not likely, but it could happen. If the three stars sit down and say, "Let's form a 'Big Three' that would dwarf the one in Boston," and were willing to take a little less money to do so, you'd have a surefire dynasty. And that's certain to be Heat president Pat Riley's pitch.

The three players could max out at $16.5 million each in the first year of their upcoming contracts. But if each guy agrees to start out at $13.5 million, they could be teammates for the next five years. As for the rest of the team, remember that no one thought Rajon Rondo, Kendrick Perkins, Eddie House and Glen Davis would be enough of a supporting cast.

Alternative advice: As fetching as the above scenario may be, it's a long shot. A more realistic scenario starts with re-signing Wade. The Heat still could sign Bosh outright, too, then add a shooter such as Ray Allen, Anthony Morrow or J.J. Redick with the remainder of the money. Morrow or Redick would come cheaper than Allen, so why not go after one of them and point guard Kyle Lowry?