But when has this not been the case? It hasn’t been the case because  it was reported earlier that Bosh to Miami was a “done deal.” In this game there is no such thing.

Ultimately, it comes down to this. If Bosh wants major money he has to accept a sign and trade. In order for him to go to Cleveland, there has to be a salary match, meaning the Cavs strip themselves of players on their roster. Are the Raptors really pumped about a Jamison/Mo Williams situation for example? Maybe if Isiah Thomas were running them (sorry Zeke)…but logically I can’t see that. Do the Raptors want Michael Beasley? Not from what I’m gathering.

What about the Nets? Interesting. They are a possibility. Can Bosh and Lebron end up in Newark? Again, that’s a big wild card still in play.

Chicago? Well, if the Heat strike out with a big can Wade stay in South Beach?

Again, with Amar’e out of the mix, the market on bigs now has a brighter spotlight. It’s Bosh’s move…as it’s always seemed to be.

Also, for a great article on the Amar’e/Bosh debate, head to CBSsportsline…

PDcavsinsider

Brian Windhorst

@PDcavsinsider: Also, can confirm several reports of a rift between Wes Wesley & James camp. Wes was indeed pushing Chicago, I'm told.

Jul 6, 2010 @ 03:12 AM from TweetDeck

The idea that Wes has been boxed out of the inner circle is something that has been talked about for the last week or so. People I’ve spoken to have said similar things about Wes pushing Chicago. I’ve talked to another person who said that Maverick Carter will be in town Wednesday. I can’t say for sure if it’s for personal reasons, or for a meeting with either the Knicks or Nets…will keep digging.

The key to this whole thing as been the decision of Chris Bosh. Do the Cavs have what it takes to deal with Toronto? Does Bosh get paid and head for Ohio? Or does he head to South Beach with Wade? Does he join Wade in Chicago?

The best move for both he and Toronto would be a sign and trade to Houston. Bosh is from Dallas and he’s made it clear in NY that he’s a kid from the South. It seems all signs i’m getting indicate that the Bosh/Wade team in South Beach is far from a given.

Where does that leave NJ? Would Bosh consider teaming with James in NJ for less than the max?

Again, all these questions have answers. And things will start to unravel once Chris Bosh makes his decision.

Though easily dismissed as mere posturing, Dwyane Wade did send the Knicks positive signals during their meeting with him on Friday.A source with direct knowledge of the meeting said that when the Knicks told Wade they would build their team around him, he responded, “Just get me one player and I’ll get you a ring.”

Could they have that player early in the week?

Yesterday, the Knicks’ brass told LeBron he’d likely earn $1 billion if he chose New York. (See the Exclusive Presentation). Why? Huge market, classic team, wide media reach and large (rich) fan base.

They’ll tell Miami Heat star Dwyane Wade the same. Another Interbrand study (commissioned by the Knicks) claims Wade could expect to earn $425 million as a Knick

Interesting that Forbes notes that the Nets were omitted from the brand study. But frankly, the reason is simple, the Knicks get a head start before the Nets play in Brooklyn. It would have to have some impact.

Discuss…The NBA could void a deal they thought was already brokered? Interesting.

But here are his predictions for the upcoming summer

“…Since everyone else is secondary, grab a dart, and fire away!

Lebron James: 3 year extension with the Cavs, followed by a similar deal with the Knicks–or Nets

Dwayne Wade: staying put

Chris Bosh: Miami

Amare Stoudamire: Knicks or Nets

Carlos Boozer: Nets (Knicks could be in play as well, depending upon Amare)

Joe Johnson: Knicks (4-year deal, nowhere near max-money)

David Lee: No clue…might very well be among the last FA’s standing. So much depends on what transpires with the elite players, but I think the Knicks and Nets are in play

Dirk Nowitski: Mavs

Rudy Gay: (restricted FA) stays in Memphis but T Wolves will pursue aggressively…”

I don’t see James signing a 3 year deal with the Cavs. If he stays, i hope he stays forever. That said, I think he’ll be in NY and I don’t think it’s a given it’s with either Bosh or Amar’e. But odds are that each of the bigs will join James in NY and Wade in Miami. I keep hearing that Miami is a play for the big 3, but I simply can’t see that happening.

I think Lee ends up going to the Nets. Dirk stays. Wade stays. Johnson ends up with the Bulls. Boozer ends up replacing Amar’e wherever he goes. I think the Grizz trade their pick and use the money to pony up and keep Gay.

But then again, like BT says, no one really has any idea.

“…1) A future with persistent injury problems - This is the most frightening and disconcerting reason. I love the way that Wade plays the game. He dives after loose balls as much as anyone, isn’t afraid of drawing contact, and is generally balls deep in every possession, The question lies, though: Can he sustain this style of play for the next 3, 5, or 7 years? No matter how good a guy keeps himself in shape, once you hit the 27-28 year old threshold you cannot play like Dwyane does without frequently getting injured. It’s impossible. He has a history of injuries too, only playing 50 games in the ’07 and ’08 seasons due to shoulder and knee issues. Would you make an investment in a car used in a demolition derby? What if this car was able to dunk on Yao Ming? What if you bought a T-Mobile Sidekick as a result of these high flying antics?…more.”

We know Wade to NY isn’t happening. At least, it doesn’t appear to be in the plans, and I agree that the back end of Wade’s next contract could present times where injuries could creep up. It’s hard to question how good Wade is right now. Wade and a big man in NY would certainly make the Knicks a top 4 seed and compete with the league’s elite, but the chances of that ever happening seem very slight.

“…Sources say that the Knicks’ likely fallback option if they don’t get LeBron is Atlanta’s Joe Johnson – but that strategy comes with a caveat. On one hand, Donnie Walsh is too smart to overpay for a player like Johnson who probably isn’t quite deserving of the max. Then again, the Hawks will pay Johnson the max to stay, so if anybody else wants him, the max is what it will take. Johnson said recently that he’d sacrifice to pair up with another elite player, meaning he’d take less than the max. But there’s no reason for him to take less under any other circumstance.

• For similar reasons, Walsh will have to decide whether Chris Bosh is worthy of a max deal if he strikes out on LeBron. Sources familiar with Walsh’s thinking are convinced that he does not regard Bosh as being on the same level as James and Wade, who will be the only two clear-cut max players on the market. “That’s the fallacy with the max,” one prominent agent said. “It allows you to buy Chris Bosh for the same price as LeBron James.” In fact, another person familiar with Walsh’s strategy said if it came down to deciding whether to keep David Lee or sign Bosh to a max deal, Walsh would choose Lee. “There are questions about whether Bosh is the kind of player who can carry a team by himself,” the person said. “He certainly hasn’t done it in Toronto…”

Several things here. One, everyone knows the “myth” of Bosh being a max player. Bosh is riding Olympic momentum. As he relates to Wade and Lebron, he is less than a max player. I don’t love the idea of Bosh and Johnson, myself. I’d add more pieces this summer and set my sites on 2011. They can be a playoff team next year if the roster is tweaked and more talent is added. I’d sign one of them, for a potential partnership when the team finally gets rid of Eddy Curry, aka the last remaining reminder of the Isiah Era.

On the Lee front, it’s a simple answer when you talk about Lee and the Knicks. As Walsh would say it’s about “the number.” Common sense tells you that if the team strikes out with James and Wade, they don’t want to overspend. Yet, I’m not sold, based on who I’ ve talked to, that Walsh prefers Lee over Bosh. Bosh is a better player. The idea that they could have done nothing and waited until next year is valid, but we’re talking about rebuilding a franchise. Walsh knew James and Wade weren’t signing extensions and they’d have the chance to sit down in July. You do whatever it takes to make that happen.

They can give both whatever they want.

After that the team will still have options, and should keep the door open in terms of flexibility.

Finger point to Frank T for the look…

When the team hired Walsh to be President of Basketball Operations on April 2, 2008, it was in the midst of the worst run in franchise history. They weren’t even competing most nights, and the level of basketball was so bad the filth made you want to take a shower when you got home after going to Madison Square Garden. That is, if you were the one who drew the short straw for those free tickets.

I remember as Walsh sat in the stands for the rest of the season evaluating the players and situation that he was now a part of, that Knicks fans wondered if this was the man who was going to make things better.

Walsh really wasted little time in the 2009 season in building towards the goal that he set on that April day, to put the team in the best position to be players in a free agent market. Superstars win championships in the NBA, and Walsh knows that fans, whom he’s asked to be patient, will be devastated if LeBron James, Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade and Joe Johnson all decide not to make 2 Penn Plaza their permanent address in July.

All that remains to be seen, but Walsh has a very important decision to make as the NBA’s trade deadline approaches, February 18th.

First of all, if you haven’t been paying attention, the Eastern Conference has really improved. Yes, the Bulls, the current 8th seed, are still several games under .500, but we’re talking about a team that pushed the Boston Celtics to the limit last year. They are tournament tested.

Larry Brown, co-director of Sanitation at MSG several years ago, has the Charlotte Bobcats playing really solid basketball. So the Knicks are no lock to make the playoffs, which if you ask is everyone’s main goal, as it should be. To me, two of those three teams (including the Knicks) will be the 7th and 8th seeds come playoff time.

As the trade deadline approaches, Walsh needs to decide who stays and who goes, if anyone. If the team has the chance to move Jared Jeffries‘ contract, once thought to be job one this year before Jeffries stopped getting booed and started to anchor the team’s vastly improved defense, do they do it if it lessens the chances at the playoffs? More.