If you are a vet who has a choice and is willing to make the minimum, do you choose to sign with the Celtics, Lakers or Heat? Or someone else?

If you are going to make the sacrifice, what is the best bet?

Depends on my position and strengths.

If I am a defender/rebounder, I sign in Miami so I look like I fill a need more than a coattail rider.

I thought you were a professional shooter?

Depends on the vet:

In need of some cash: Miami (Low state taxes).

Cash is ok, want to play a big role: Miami
Cash is ok, ok playing a smaller role: LA
Cash is ok, want to share stories about trips to Luby's at 4Pm: Boston

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If I am a defender/rebounder, I sign in Miami so I look like I fill a need more than a coattail rider.

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totally agree

even if i am a bench shooter, i go to miami (jason kapono types i'm talking to you)

If the Miller signing is legit, I don't see another 2/3 that's any sort of difference maker signing in Miami.

Wade & Lebron are gonna have to be playing 40+ as is. Miller would get at least 15-20 (he's never averaged less than 27 aside from the year he missed all but 16 games).

Any vet w/something left in the tank isn't gonna want to be a regular DNP & 5 minute guy.

Probably the Lakers. Seems like the easier road to the finals now that Phoenix and Utah took a big hit.

Bosh is the guy that's going to have play the most minutes of the three. You can at least interchange LeBron and Wade somewhat. There is no alternative to Bosh down low -- at this moment, literally none at all.

It will be fun watching that team implode if Bosh ever goes down with an injury. You can't win anything with minimum contracts making up your entire 2 deep at PF and C.

BUT THEY HAVE DEXTER PITTMAN. ALL IS WELL.

Miami is going to be un-freaking-believable.

They will far and away have the best team. If you want to win one, they your best bet.

Imagine Chalmers, Wade, Bron, Beasley, and Bosh on the floor. I can't wait to watch them play.

[This message has been edited by Whistling For Flies (edited 7/10/2010 12:20a).]

Miami

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Imagine Chalmers, Wade, Bron, Beasley, and Bosh on the floor. I can't wait to watch them play.

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They traded Beasley to the T'Wolves.

The Bulls for a number of reasons.
A. They got a franchise point guard who will be a top 2 PG in the league in the next couple of years.
B. They got a low post presence in Boozer and Noah, which cannot be matched by any other team in the East.
C. They just signed Korver (and possibly Reddick). Two guys who can shoot the rock with the best of them in the league.
D. Tom Thibodeau will be one of the best coaches in the league in two years and can keep this team together.
E. As a vet, I could be a leader and a mentor for the rest of the guys.
F. The rest of the team is young and very athletic.

The Celtics just lost Tony Allen to the Grizzlies.

Not a huge loss, but it is a loss. Solid defensive role player and he's been with the C's his whole career.

I think that is a fairly decent loss for them. They just got even older, less athletic, and poorer defensively with him leaving. I would've rather had Ray walk and kept Tony around and found a second player (a shooter) with that 10 mil a year. Their match-up against Miami (and L.A) just got A LOT more difficult.

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I would've rather had Ray walk and kept Tony around and found a second player (a shooter) with that 10 mil a year. T

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It doesn't work like that. If Ray walks, they don't get that 10mm to use on anyone.

They used the MLE on Jermaine ONeal. If Ray walks, they have the LLE and the vet min to use to replace him.

And the Lakers just lost Dumbo ears to the Nets.

The New Jersey Nets have reached an agreement in principle with free agent guard Jordan Farmar

So Farmer went from the champs to the worst team in the league for 4 mil a yr and the right to back up Devin Harris instead of Derek Fisher? Idiot. Good riddance.

Farmar has two rings. LA obviously wasn't paying him that kinda cash after signing Blake. Why not chase the cash and maybe some endorsements in NYC? It isn't like he is going to be that meaningful a contributor on any team, why not get paid while you still can?

After taxes and agents, he has cleared ~2-2.5mm in his first 4 seasons. Get it while you can.

Because he's one Fisher injury from being the starter, now (likely) no Shannon Brown to worry about fighting for playing time, and perhaps L.A. would have paid him that much to begin with. Blake got exactly the same paycheck. Looks like L.A. chose shooting ability over youth/the future.

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Because he's one Fisher injury from being the starter,

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Blake is the clear backup.

At what point is it worth it to resign? How much of a paycut do you take to stay with the Lakers.

Kobe+Gasol+Bynum+Odom+Artest puts LA over the LuxTax. So Blake is costing them 8mm/year. Fisher will cost them 10mm/year. Sasha and Luke cost them 11mm/year. Don't think LA is shelling out anywhere near 4mm/year for a third string PG.

I'm talking pre-Blake...

True, but Farmar made this decision after Blake got his contract.

He turned down less money to be 3rd string to make more money and be 2nd string. Sounds good to me.

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True, but Farmar made this decision after Blake got his contract.

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no way. read the exit interviews. he talks about leaving LA. this was decided in his mind long ago.

I think he thought he was either going to get more than 4 mil a yr and/or be a starter somewhere. He got neither. His best chance at PT was to stay where he was at and not have the Lakers go search for a new back-up (Blake).