Just a thought, but are the shorter-term contract extensions signed by LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh all part of a master plan that will eventually land all three players in New York?
Can you imagine the hype and rivalry with James playing for the soon-to-be Brooklyn Nets and Wade with the New York Knicks? Or how about all three players on the same team, which would breathe new life into a basketball-crazed area that has been reduced to a faint pulse because of the subpar Knicks.
James, Wade and Bosh each agreed to three-year extensions with an option for the fourth year with their respective teams last week. They all could have signed a maximum of five years for $80 million, but they chose the shorter route. In four years, all of those awful mega contracts are off the Knicks' books (Jamal Crawford will make $10 million in 2010-11) which means there will be room to sign free agents like James, Wade and Bosh.
Far-fetched?
James' relationship with Jay-Z, one of the minority owners of the Nets, has been well documented. The Nets' planned move to Brooklyn also would boost James' income. A source confirmed that James has clauses in his endorsement contracts that give him a raise if he plays in a major market like New York. Right now, the biggest contract on the Nets' roster in four years is $15 million owed to Richard Jefferson, which leaves plenty of room to add additional mega contracts.
Stay tuned.
