Author: John Paulsen (Page 846 of 937)

Dwayne Wade is going to follow the lead of LeBron James, and sign a three-year deal with a player option for a fourth year. Carmelo Anthony was considering doing the same thing, but apparently has decided to go for the max extension. It’s probably a smart move for Anthony. Of the three, he’s the least marketable…It looks like Paul Pierce is going to sign a three-year extension with the Celtics, keeping him in Boston until at least the 2009-10 season. The move indicates that he’s satisfied with the progress the team has made since Danny Ainge took control…It doesn’t look like John Salmons will be back with the Sixers next year, which is their loss. He’s deciding between Toronto and Phoenix and will thrive in the up-tempo systems each team wants to play…Isiah Thomas is still interested in Kenyon Martin, but the Nuggets are only interested in expiring contracts, especially considering the 6-year/$60 M deal that Nene signed…Speaking of that deal, Drew Gooden is using that as the basis for negotiations. It appears that the Nuggets overpaid for Nene and the rest of the league is dealing with the ramifications. Both Gooden and Chris Wilcox are looking for similar deals…The Blazers are having a hell of time trading Darius Miles, whose stock is sinking quickly.

I knew that the Timberwolves were one of three teams to be courting Mike James, but I’m surprised that Minnesota was able to land the free agent point guard. At the end of the season, James said that he wanted to play for Houston, and the Rockets put on a full court press, sending HC Jeff Van Gundy to James’ house on the first day of free agency. Dallas was another option – close to home, closer to a championship, but James chose to play for the Wolves, the team furthest from contention.

Minnesota got James for their full mid-level exception, with a contract length of four years. Rumor had it that he was set to sign a three-year deal, so maybe the extra year put Minnesota over the top. Either way, he should be a real good deal for at least the next two years. He’ll probably start alongside draft pick Randy Foye in the backcourt, and will be happy to provide the scoring that Kevin Garnett and the Wolves desperately need.

In light of yesterday’s news about LeBron James potentially opting for a three-year contract with a player option for a fourth season, Carmelo Anthony is considering the same thing. Most stars will sign the max for the sake of security, but superstars – who make so much money from endorsement deals – already have a lot of security, so they have the option of considering their legacy when signing an extension…Mike James was supposed to decide amongst the Mavs, Rockets and Wolves yesterday, but he was blown away by his meeting with Avery Johnson. The Mavs could use him, but I wonder how many shoot-first point guards you can have on one team. I’m having trouble envisioning a cohesive Jason Terry/Mike James backcourt. Go play for Houston, Mike…My beloved Bucks may finally be rid of Jamaal Magloire and it looks like the Wizards might be his destination. Jared Jeffries, Antonio Daniels and Etan Thomas have been mentioned heavily in rumored trades. I love what Jeffries can bring to the table and Daniels is a nice combo guard, so if those two guys are in the deal, count me in. The Pacers are another team that has shown interest in Magloire, and they have a few swingmen (Danny Granger, specifically) that would look great in a Bucks uni…The Suns have targeted John Salmons, one of my free agent gems. The Suns offer appears to be a second rounder, and if that’s the case, the Sixers should hold out for more…The front runners for the services of Al Harrington are the Pacers and the Warriors.

Rumor has it that LeBron James is going to sign a three-year deal with a player option for a fourth year instead of signing a max five-year deal. This would benefit James in two ways: 1) he’d be able to sign for more money with his next contract (30% of his team’s salary cap as a seven-year veteran instead of 25% of his team’s cap right now) and 2) it would give him greater flexibility if he doesn’t like the direction that the Cavaliers are headed. The downside for James is that it gives him less security, but with all the money he’s already made from endorsements, he’ll never go hungry…Paul Pierce is negotiating an extension with the Celtics. There were rumors floating around that he might be considering playing elsewhere in order to win a ring, especially now that Antoine Walker has one…Now that the Lakers have used their mid-level exception on Vladimir Radmanovic, they have no ability to sign Marcus Banks, and the point guard may return to the Timberwolves if the team doesn’t sign Mike James. James is meeting with Avery Johnson today and may make his final decision tonight…George Karl and Kenyon Martin met in Las Vegas this weekend in an effort to mend their tumultuous relationship…Isiah Thomas plans to start Stephon Marbury and Steve Francis in what Marbury called “a devastating backcourt.” Whether it’s the good kind of “devastating” or the bad kind of “devastating” remains to be seen.