By MICHAEL DAUBER
STAFF WRITER
It’s that time of the year again when sports analysts and rabid Knick fans start drooling over the potential big-name free agents that might sign during the off-season. After acquiring the legendary Phil Jackson as president of basketball operations, the Knicks have instantly become even more of a destination than they supposedly already are. Sure, they’ve always had the big stage and their history as drawing points, but now the front office is giving off the impression that it can actually put together a winning roster this year. Supposedly a source close to LeBron James says that “The King” will now consider New York when he eventually becomes a free agent. However, James knows what’s good for his legacy, he’ll stay as far from the Knicks as possible.
A few of you may remember his last mishap in free agency, an absurd hour-long DVD release that announced he would be “taking his talents to South Beach” instead of staying with his home-town, Cleveland. He was largely seen as a championship chaser for several years, a player who couldn’t win on his own and had to team up with big names like Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh to win the championship. By now Dwyane Wade’s knees are aging rapidly, Chris Bosh isn’t as much of a factor as he used to be, and the Miami bench isn’t what it once was. It seems like James is the major reason the Heat won. Should they pull out a third consecutive title this year, it will be one of the biggest accomplishments of James’s career: he’ll truly win a championship almost entirely by his own power.
Now move him over to the Knicks. The Knicks by no means have the supporting cast that Miami offers, but if Carmelo Anthony stays in free agency this summer, they will keep their reigning scoring champion and perennial all-star on the roster for several years. How does this impact James? If he decides to sign with New York, he will be seen as once again stacking the deck in his favor so he doesn’t need to work as hard. Sure, signing with Wade was a similar move, but Carmelo Anthony is performing at a much higher level now than Wade was when James signed with the Heat. The roster may not be as strong as Miami’s, but the Knicks will have more concentrated talent for James to work with.
While this makes it easier for him to win championships, it will not turn out well for his reputation in the long run. Signing with New York would ruin the reputations of two players. For Carmelo Anthony, it will seem like an admission that he’ll never win a championship without the help of basketball’s current titan. For James, it would reinforce the lack of loyalty he was charged with when he left Cleveland. Further, it could be seen as an admission that he is not the dominating force he seems to be: he needs the help of superstars he should really be competing against in order to win. Even further, he needs the help of one of the greatest champions of all-time, Phil Jackson.
If we flipped the scenario around, would it be as strikingly bad? Not so much. If Anthony signed in Miami, it would more likely appear that Anthony was simply admitting he could not win alone. James would simply wait for the reinforcements to arrive and reap the benefits. As long as James stays put, his reputation is in no danger whatsoever. As soon as he moves, however, he loses standing.
Then there are a few financial considerations to be made. The Knicks simply don’t have the cap-space this year to sign both Anthony and James. Anthony will pull in about $23 million this off-season no matter where he goes. If he signs with the Knicks, that pretty much eats up all of their available cap-space, eliminating James for this season. James would have to stay in Miami an extra season to pick up enough available cap-space to make the contract reasonable enough to pass. At that point, most of the cap space for next summer would be gone too, and James would be unable to pick any supporting players. So while he would have an overwhelming amount of talent in Anthony, he could not fill out the rest of the Knicks roster with anything near what he could pick in LA, Chicago or Cleveland.
I sincerely hope James does not come to New York. I respect people that learn from their mistakes and make rational, practical choices. If James were to come to New York, he would erase much of the respect he earned back after leaving Cleveland for Miami and would be admitting that he can’t win championships without a massive amount of help. Further, just from a financial and statistical standpoint, it seems like a poor practical decision. I believe he will stay in Miami, where he ought to be. He may not win as many titles, but he will at least earn respect.
