Will James' choice come down to Gilbert's willingness to spend, or the Knicks' big-name braintrust?
While Knicks General Manager Donnie Walsh (right) has the experience of building a contender in Indiana 20 years ago, he and head coach Mike D'Antoni (right) have yet to muster much success at Madison Square Garden.(Chasing down rumors about LeBron James' basketball future could be a full-time job. Now it's my full-time job. Just call me The Rumor Monger. Every day we'll compile a list of the rumors we're hearing about James and his next contract. Just remember these are just rumors, not necessarily facts. It's going to be a long and rough ride, Cavs fans. Buckle up. -- Mary Schmitt Boyer)
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Maybe everybody was busy celebrating Father's Day or watching the U.S. Open. Or both.
But Sunday was the lightest day rumor-wise since we cranked up The Rumor Mill a month ago.
Light. But not dead, of course. For that we have ESPN to thank.
Chris Broussard of ESPN The Magazine, a former Plain Dealer reporter who covered the pre-James Cavs for the Akron Beacon Journal, notes that among the things James will be considering when he chooses his next team is the brain trust in charge -- owner and general manager (or similar title.)
Says Broussard, "[Dan] Gilbert has proved to be a good owner in that he's spent whatever amount of money necessary in his attempts to put a title team around James. It hasn't worked, but some may blame Danny Ferry, who recently stepped down as general manager.
"The question in Cleveland is: how does James view Ferry's successor, Chris Grant? Grant is respected around the league, having spent 10 seasons in Atlanta before joining Ferry five years ago in Cleveland. But even if James likes Grant, Gilbert may be the one ultimately pulling the strings. ...
"Whatever the case, the Cavs' situation is, to put it kindly, a bit muddled. We'll see how their coaching search plays out -- Byron Scott and Jeff Van Gundy also have the Cavs' interest -- but right now, all the uncertainty in the franchise can't be viewed as a plus.
"Knicks owner James Dolan doesn't bring to mind Jerry Buss or Mark Cuban when it comes to success, but he is a big spender who gives his presidents an open checkbook. That, however, doesn't make him any different from ... Gilbert.
"Where the Knicks look good is with team president Donnie Walsh, a basketball lifer who built the Indiana Pacers into a strong franchise during the 1990s and beyond. Walsh is a solid team-builder who follows his gut, which has proved to be correct more often than not. He went against the entire state of Indiana when he drafted noted Knicks killer Reggie Miller for the Pacers in 1987. Then, he put the right pieces -- Mark Jackson, Rik Smits, Jalen Rose, Antonio Davis and Dale Davis, among others -- around Miller to get the Pacers into the playoffs 16 times in 17 years. With the Knicks having several roster spots to fill, even if they sign LeBron and another star, Walsh's track record should bring comfort.
"LeBron certainly likes Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni, who got close to James as an assistant with Team USA, but LeBron also recognizes the importance of defense. He understands you can't win big without an emphasis on stopping people, and that's where D'Antoni falls short. Being a good defensive team takes a strong defensive philosophy, not just throwing a few good defenders out on the floor. The Knicks would be wise to hire a defensive guru as an assistant coach for D'Antoni -- and wise to force D'Antoni to listen to him."
Broussard also had a good line about the notion that James was staying out of the coaching search.
"You'd better believe that if LeBron wanted to pick the club's next coach," Broussard wrote, "Gilbert would be on the front step of the superstar's palatial compound with a dozen red roses, a chorus line of dancing girls, a contract extension and the keys to his private jet. Among other enticements."
• It's all a guessing game anyway, so for some fun, visit ESPN's free-agent slot machine.