NBA Capsules: LeBron James makes his pick: He's going to Miami
See ya, Cleveland.
Sorry, Chicago, New York and New Jersey. Maybe next time around, Clippers.
LeBron James chose superstar help over the comforts of home and is heading for Miami because he wants to win a championship with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.
NBA, get ready: A superstar trio has just been born.
Ending weeks of will-he-or-won’t-he speculation, the two-time MVP said Thursday night that he’s decided to join the Heat and leave the Cavaliers after an unsuccessful seven-year quest for the ring he covets.
“I can’t say it was always in my plans, because I never thought it was possible,” James said on a made-for-Lebron live show on ESPN. “But the things that the Miami Heat franchise have done, to free up cap space and be able to put themselves in a position this summer to have all three of us, it was hard to turn down. Those are two great players, two of the greatest players that we have in this game today.”
Olympic teammates in Beijing, James, Bosh and Wade all helped deliver gold medals.
This time, it’ll be about a gold trophy, the NBA championship one — the one Wade got in 2006, the one that James and Bosh have yet to touch.
“Winning is a huge thing for me,” James said from a studio in Greenwich, Conn., where an audience of kids from the Boys and Girls club was present for the announcement.
It’s a huge victory for the Heat, which got commitments from Wade and Bosh on Wednesday. That duo, along with James, formed the upper echelon of the most-celebrated free-agent period in league history.
Heat president Pat Riley landed them all, a three-pack of stars to help shape his quest for a dynasty in Miami.
“There’s magic in the number three,” Wade said, a nod to his jersey number.
And for Cleveland, a city scorned for generations by some of sports’ biggest letdowns, James’ long-awaited words represented a defeat perhaps unlike any other.
James is gone. Home sweet home no more.
He said he made the decision Thursday morning and knows it won’t go over well in Ohio.
“They can have mixed emotions, of course,” James said, adding that Akron will “always be home for me.”
His new home — part-time or otherwise — wasted no time in beginning the celebration. Horns honked outside the arena and on Miami Beach, where Wade was watching the announcement with members of his inner circle.
“It’s going to be crazy,” Wade said.
In Cleveland, the immediate reaction was predictably filled with outrage. Television images showed at least one fan burning James’ No. 23 wine-and-gold jersey.
“I can’t get involved in that,” he said. “I wanted to do what was best for LeBron James ... At the end of the day, I feel awful. I feel even worse that I wasn’t able to bring an NBA championship to that city.
“To my real fans out there, I hope that you’ll continue to support me all the way to Miami.”
James met with six teams on the free-agent recruiting circuit, and said the process was “everything I thought, and more.”
“We are disappointed that LeBron James did not pick the New York Knicks, but we respect his decision,” Knicks president Donnie Walsh said.
Added Mikhail Prokhorov, the new owner of the New Jersey Nets, another club that swung and missed on landing James: “We have a vision of a championship team and need to invest wisely and for the long term. Fortunately, we have more than one plan to reach success, and, as I have found in all areas of my business, that is key to achieving it.”
And Bulls general manager Gar Forman said he was convinced his organization “made the strongest of bids to acquire LeBron James during this free agency period.”
James, Bosh and Wade entered the pros in the same year, the respective Nos. 1, 4 and 5 picks in the 2003 draft. They went their separate ways: James to Cleveland, Bosh to Toronto and Wade to Miami, where he won a championship partnered with center Shaquille O’Neal in 2006. That year, James, Bosh and Wade all signed matching contracts to make sure they were all unrestricted free agents at the same time.
Season-ticket sales for the Heat’s coming 41-game season were suspended Thursday afternoon after the entire supply of available seats were sold out. Not every seat has been released for sale yet and some will be held back for single-game purchases at the 19,600-capacity arena.
“I’ll believe it when I see it,” Louisville coach Rick Pitino said while attending a tournament of high school stars at Cleveland State University, co-sponsored by James and Nike, one of the 25-year-old’s corporate partners.
Believe it.
The Cavaliers, a franchise that was in ruins before winning a lottery drawing and bringing James up Interstate 77 from his Akron home, have had the upper hand — until now. They were able to offer him more money — $30 million more — than any other team.
This wasn’t about money, though.
Wade and Bosh both said they would take fewer dollars to make this happen. And that, combined with what Riley and Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said to James on the recruiting tour, was enough to pull off the stunner.
Because they have overspent while trying to please James and win the first title by any of Cleveland’s three pro sports teams since 1964, the Cavs are strapped with a few big contracts that have eaten up salary-cap space and prevented them from making roster moves to improve the team.
They’ve come close to winning it all with James, who at 6-foot-8 and 260 pounds has the quickness of a point guard and brute force of an NFL defensive lineman.
With the possible exception of Los Angeles Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant, James is the NBA’s premier player, but his legacy cannot be fulfilled until he wins a championship.
If it’s going to happen soon, it’ll happen in Miami.
Wade has shared the spotlight in the Heat locker room before, doing so when O’Neal was there for the 2006 title run. And James said that if Wade wasn’t willing to make this megadeal happen, the trio wouldn’t be together.
“At this point, D-Wade, he’s the unselfish guy here,” James said. “To be able to have Chris Bosh and LeBron James, to welcome us to his team, it’s not about an individual here. Because if that was the case, D-Wade wouldn’t have asked us to join him or we wouldn’t have asked him if it was OK to come down here. It’s not about individuals. It’s about a team.”
AP source: C Haywood stays with Mavs for $55M
DALLAS (AP) — A person familiar with the negotiations says center Brendan Haywood has agreed to $55 million, six-year contract to return to the Dallas Mavericks.
The person spoke to The Associated Press on Thursday on the condition of anonymity because details were still being finalized.
Dallas acquired the 7-footer from Washington as part of a blockbuster deal at the trade deadline last season. He was a big part of the Mavs getting on a roll soon after, but down the stretch he lost playing time — and his starting job — to Erick Dampier.
This deal probably means Dampier’s days in Dallas are over.
--By JAIME ARON
Frye signs 5-year deal with Suns
PHOENIX (AP) — The Phoenix Suns have locked up one of their top offseason priorities, signing center Channing Frye to a five-year deal.
Terms were not disclosed, but Frye and the Suns agreed to a deal worth $30 million last week. Phoenix also agreed to a four-year, $18 million contract with free agent forward Hakim Warrick on Friday after being unable to reach a deal with Amare Stoudemire, who signed with the New York Knicks.
Frye developed into a solid 3-point shooter with Phoenix after rarely shooting from beyond the arc in four seasons with New York and Portland, leading the Suns with 173 his first season in the desert.
The eighth overall pick out of Arizona in the 2005 draft, Frye averaged 11.2 points with the Suns and shot 43 percent from 3-point range.
Bulls sign F Carlos Boozer
CHICAGO (AP) — Carlos Boozer is now officially with the Chicago Bulls.
The Bulls announced Thursday they have signed the forward away from the Utah Jazz, giving them a two-time All-Star and the dominant big man they’ve craved for years.
Boozer agreed Wednesday to the deal, which several outlets reported is worth roughly $75 million over five years. He says in a statement that the Bulls “have the talent here to begin competing for a title and I cannot wait to get started.”
It would help if LeBron James — the jewel of this star-studded class — left Cleveland for Chicago. He’s scheduled to announce his decision Thursday night.
Either way, the Bulls figure to be better after back-to-back first-round playoff exits. They have an All-Star point guard in Derrick Rose and one of the leading rebounders in Joakim Noah.
--By ANDREW SELIGMAN
Chris Duhon looks to make fresh start with Magic
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — It was only fitting Chris Duhon officially joined the Orlando Magic on Thursday, the same day his former team has spent two-plus seasons preparing to sign a free agent.
Just not him.
Duhon partly blames his struggles with the New York Knicks on the constant roster shuffling and uncertainty as they cleared salary-cap space in hopes of luring LeBron James. The crown jewel of this summer’s mega-free-agent class, James was set to make his decision Thursday night on national television.
Duhon, meanwhile, couldn’t be happier to have a fresh start somewhere else.
“It was kind of tough,” Duhon said of his time with the Knicks. “Going into it, their main focus was (Thursday night). There was times we had good chemistry going with a couple guys, and all of a sudden there are trades. They were focusing on this free agency period.”
Duhon’s two seasons as the starting point guard in New York never really lived up to expectations, and the opportunity to be on a contending team was too much to pass up this time.
Even if it means being a backup.
Orlando agreed to sign Duhon to a $15 million, four-year deal to play behind Jameer Nelson. The move puts Duhon in a reserve role, however, he said he has no second thoughts about playing second fiddle.
Especially after a rocky ride in the Big Apple.
“I want an opportunity to win. I know Orlando is knocking on the door to win a championship,” Duhon said. “That’s been a goal of mine since coming to the NBA. I think they have all the pieces for winning.”
Duhon’s signing is all the more important in a thin year for free agent point guards.
The Magic went to the NBA finals in 2009 and the Eastern Conference finals this year. Their reserve point guards last season, Jason Williams and Anthony Johnson, are free agents.
Nelson also has had repeated injuries — a tear in his right shoulder sidelined him for most of the 2009 season, and torn cartilage in his left knee sent him to the bench for about two months last year — that puts added pressure to have a reliable backup.
Duhon believes his experience starting with the Knicks should help him transition easier to Orlando.
“I had the opportunity to be a starting guy. I had the opportunity to try to turn a franchise around. I don’t regret the decision (going there),” Duhon said. “I think it helped me grow as a person and as a basketball player, and I think I’m better for it.”
Duhon averaged 7.4 points and 5.6 assists per game last season as the Knicks missed the playoffs again. He fell out of favor with coach Mike D’Antoni, and it was clear the Knicks wanted to move in a different direction.
Duhon’s first four seasons came with the Chicago Bulls, who drafted him in 2004. Orlando tried to sign Duhon in 2008 before he went to New York.
Magic general manager Otis Smith said the Knicks’ offer back then — a two-year deal worth more than $11 million — was more than he was willing to spend. Even though he had little success with the Knicks, Smith said playing with All-Star center Dwight Howard should open up Duhon’s game.
“It’s been a long time coming,” Smith said. “I think we’ve been recruiting him for two years now. I think we have him a little more mature now.”
--By ANTONIO GONZALEZ
Stoudemire hopes to start ‘new era’ in New York
NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Knicks have lost long enough. Amare Stoudemire is ready for what he calls the “start of a new era.”
Stoudemire joined the Knicks on Thursday, coming to a team that has never had a winning season since he entered the league out of high school in 2002.
“It’s about challenges and this is definitely the ultimate challenge for myself to eventually bring the Knicks back to where they rightfully belong,” Stoudemire said at a news conference at Madison Square Garden.
The All-Star power forward agreed to a deal Monday with a team looking to win again after a franchise-worst nine straight losing seasons.
The last two of those were largely the result of a plan to slash salary to allow the Knicks to afford to sign two maximum salary players this summer. Team officials were still holding out hope the other would be LeBron James, who was to announce his decision about nine hours after the Knicks were introducing Stoudemire.
Either way, landing Stoudemire was a crucial first step, ensuring they wouldn’t be shut out by the big names in free agency.
“This is a very big addition to our team and the future of our team,” Knicks president Donnie Walsh said. “Up until now our plan has been to save money in the cap and now it’s about winning, trying to put together a team that can win.”
Stoudemire’s agent, Happy Walters, said the Knicks and Suns will complete a sign-and-trade arrangement. The five-time All-Star will still get a five-year contract, but will take a little less than the maximum allowed in the first year to provide the Knicks with additional salary cap space. By signing with the Suns first, he is entitled to larger raises, but the total value of the deal will still be about $100 million.
In doing so, he became the first top player in this deep free agent class to change teams, choosing one that is desperate to win again.
“It takes courage to play where the lights shine the brightest,” Madison Square Garden chairman James Dolan said.
The move reunites Stoudemire with Mike D’Antoni, his former coach in Phoenix. Stoudemire is a fearless finisher on the pick-and-roll and helped the Suns average 58 victories in D’Antoni’s four full seasons there.
“We won a lot of games together and hopefully we’ll be successful here,” D’Antoni said.
That likely depends on what else the Knicks can accomplish, either this year or next. They would have nearly $19 million left this summer if they don’t get James, and D’Antoni said the plan is to get another max player at some point over the next couple of years. Walsh said New York would be able to afford another one next summer.
In the meantime, Stoudemire gives them a player who has averaged 21.4 points and 8.9 rebounds since he was the ninth pick in the 2002 draft — two spots after the Knicks passed on the player who had lived for a time in upstate New York.
The Suns worried about his injury history in refusing to offer the six-year contract they were allowed, given Stoudemire’s multiple knee operations, including one major microfracture procedure in 2005-06. But he played all 82 games last season in helping Phoenix reach the conference finals, and the Knicks believe he has many dominant years left.
“When he decides to do something, the things he can do, you can’t stop,” Walsh said.
--By BRIAN MAHONEY
AP Source: Paul joins LeBron’s marketing group
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A person familiar with the deal says the Hornets’ Chris Paul has joined LeBron James’ marketing company.
The person spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity because the deal with LRMR Marketing had yet to be announced.
Earlier Thursday, Octagon basketball managing director Jeff Austin, who negotiated Paul’s current four-year, $68 million contract with New Orleans, confirmed that Paul had ended his five-year relationship with the agency.
The news first was reported by Yahoo!
Austin says Octagon is proud of its work on Paul’s basketball contract, marketing relationships and charitable endeavors, and wishes him continued success.
--By BRETT MARTEL
