At the stroke of midnight, the free agent feeding frenzy began for the National Basketball Association. Of the 151 free agents, seven had already received qualifying offers from their respective teams before the deadline, Zach Randolph had agreed to an extension with Memphis, two Miami Heat players are mulling retirement and seven were available after opting out of their contracts. Included in the seven players that decided to opt out for more money elsewhere, or to just restructure their current deals to allow their clubs more flexibility, is former Carmel High School star Josh McRoberts. And whoops, after writing a column depicting all the scenarios of where McRoberts could land, I’ve noticed there’s a few other names that opted out of their old deals, including LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. So, those may be bigger stories. In Miami, Udonis Haslem has also opted out, joining the Big Three of James, Wade and Bosh, while Chris ‘Birdman’ Andersen, Michael Beasley, Mario Chalmers, Toney Douglas, James Jones, Rashard Lewis and Greg Oden (yes, he was on the team) as free agents. Along with the aforementioned, Shane Battier and Ray Allen are also on the open market, although they both appear to be mulling retirement, but I gotta see it to believe it. So, for now, Miami has a pretty slim roster, which consists of Norris Cole, some guy named Justin Hamilton and Shabazz Napier, who was drafted five days ago. While it may appear James will flirt with Cleveland and Houston, it’s hard to believe that he, Wade and Bosh won’t re-sign where they’ll be bringing in a whole new pack of veterans who are looking for the most important thing in the game – a title. For Pat Riley, the guy he will undoubtedly be trying to woo is Anthony. Opting to break newly christened New York Knicks General Manager Phil Jackson’s heart, Anthony has opted out of his current deal with the team, but that doesn’t mean he can’t re-sign with the Knicks for a max deal. But to do that, Jackson and the team would be limited in what it could do to attract more quality free agents, not just this year, but next. And with Anthony signed to a max deal, he would then be back in the same position he’s been in in New York, a good player on a mediocre team. And as we all know, if a guy wants to take more money over a championship, then he’s selfish. Who cares about providing money for your family, not only in your lifetime but for generations to come? Who wouldn’t leave money on the table when you could win a trophy – that I’m pretty sure you don’t get to keep, although the ring may be worth something. Now, if Anthony wants a shot at a title, he’ll be taking less money so the public – outside of New York – can believe he’s after the championship. For Chicago Bulls fans, which I’m one of, the idea of Anthony coming to the Windy City is alright, although it seems kind of Jay Cutler-ish. We’ll be excited to get a big name, then realize he’s 30 years old, doesn’t play defense and just cost us a lot of salary cap room, with most of it being eaten by a former MVP Derrick Rose, who’s coming off two knee injuries and has played 50 games in three years. Shortly thereafter, we’ll hate his shot volume and probably realize the newly-signed Doug McDermott is pretty much the exact same player. But with the face of the franchise, Rose, already stating he’s not into recruiting players, the ego of Anthony will have him looking elsewhere, like Houston. Somehow, the Houston Rockets continually make big offseason splashes, such as signing Jeremy Linn and Omer Asik two years ago, then acquiring James Harden in a trade with the Oklahoma City Thunder prior to the 2012-13 season. Then, in last year’s offseason, they landed big man Dwight Howard, and it sounds like they’re players once again. Having already agreed to ship Asik to New Orleans, Linn is likely on the move as well, freeing up some cap space to make a run at Anthony or James. Oh, dear Lord. Despite all the moves Houston has made to make runs at the big names, in all likelihood, James, Wade and Bosh will stay at home, convincing Anthony to come as well, making a bigger mockery of the league, as the players continue to stack a team like I did playing an NBA video game back in eighth grade. And if Anthony doesn’t go to Miami, he’ll re-sign with New York and turn a free agent frenzy into an offseason of teams landing guys you remember being good years ago. So, here’s to watching where Vince Carter, Caron Butler, Luol Deng, Pau Gasol, Metta World Peace, and of course Josh McRoberts land, because that will probably be the only ‘excitement’ this offseason.
