Update (5:05 PM): Looks like Carlos Boozer will be a Bull. Seems like a good fit for them.
Update (11:07): I don't even know what it means, but Ian O'Connor of ESPNNY just twat this:
#LeBron James in contact with Carmelo & Amare last night, according to an ESPNNewYork.com source. Carmelo pushing #Knicks hard.
I guess it's good that they've all been in touch?
Good morning, dugongs. Can you feel it? The end just might be near. Ken Berger reported late last night that Chris Bosh is headed to Miami. From the sound of things, that's pretty much done. Meanwhile, as we discussed, LeBron James has scheduled a press conference for Thursday night in which he will announce his decision. Putting aside the griminess of the entire exercise, this means we as a planet could be over this nonsense by Friday morning. Granted, it could be the "HOLY CATSHIT, LEBRON JAMES IS A KNICK!" kind of over, or it could be the "Whatever, I always liked Luke Ridnour better anyway" kind of over. That remains to be seen.
In the meantime, with Bosh and Wade apparently teaming up in Miami, James has yet to decide. The Heat will try and form an evil Cerberus with him, while the Cavaliers hold on for dear life and the Knicks, Nets, Bulls and whoever else pray their Powerpoints worked. All sorts of talking heads (Chris Broussard, Ric Bucher, David Byrne, etc.) will indicate that LeBron is favoring one destination or another, but I don't think anybody has a clue. Actually, David Byrne might.
At the moment, here's what I've been reading this morning:
- Tom Haberstroh makes a compelling statistical case that David Lee was flat-out better than Amar'e Stoudemire last season. No need to fuss and fight over this one, but it's worth a read. Some of us favor certain statistics, some of us prefer others, while some of us ignore statistics entirely. That figures a lot into how one feels about the probable replacement of Lee with Stoudemire.
- Speaking of which, Lee has had pleasant visits with a number of teams, including Minnesota and Phoenix. This Fanpost by ny knickerbocker really made me think about this one. The benevolent part of me wants to see David Lee win somewhere and prove that he's not just a garbage man and can put up stats anywhere. The selfish part of me wants to see Lee succeed, but do so on a bad team somewhere in the Arctic tundra, where I won't have to hear about him all the time. I'm already getting jealous. Whatever happens, some fanbase is going to be really happy with Lee. I'm sure we'll be delighted with Stoudemire as well. (Yes, I'm prematurely dismissing the possibility that the Knicks re-sign Lee. I just don't think it's going to happen.)
- Meanwhile, Tommy Dee has the news on that Jerome Jordan trade, which has been tripped up a little by Corey Maggette (who, as we predicted, must have a strained uterus).
- ESPN has decided to throw Carlos Boozer's name into the mix. I'm not going to get myself worked up about those rumors unless they develop.
- A Marc Berman source thinks that Amar'e Stoudemire thinks that Luke Ridnour would be a good pick-and-roll partner.
- So, uh, here's Fat Joe. Question: Is Luke Ridnour a hardbody?
So, folks, how are we feeling? As relaxed as can be, I hope.
More as it develops, my sweet little infants.