Cavaliers may be among teams that have made offers to Toronto in hopes of getting Bosh in sign-and-trade. Raptors apparently not impressed with any offer, and are getting turned off by Bosh's twitter activity. Only way for Cavs to get Bosh is in sign-and-trade. Wade says he won't decide this week.
Chris Bosh has opened his mouth some, but tweeted even more, about the free agent process - apparently irritating the Toronto Raptors.Toronto Raptors free agent forward Chris Bosh has drawn a lot of interest from teams not only because of his playing ability, but also because analysts believe that the team getting Bosh will do so in conjunction with the signing of another top free agent.
For teams that can't sign two free agents to maximum contracts, or contracts approaching the maximum, the strategy to land Bosh has always included a trade-and-sign option. It's been understood that if Bosh were to leave Toronto, he and the Raptors were agreeable to working a sign-and-trade deal: allowing Bosh to get a maximum contract elsewhere for six years instead of five; helping the Raptors getting players and maybe other considerations in exchange for the all-star Bosh. The Cavaliers are among the teams that could acquire Bosh only through a sign-and-trade. Now, though, after the Raptors have engaged in sign-and-trade talks with other teams, and after Bosh has made "tweet" after "tweet" about his situation, the Raptors are losing interest in a sign-and-trade.That's what a league source has said. as reported by J.A. Adande for ESPN.com:
The Toronto Raptors have become increasingly disenchanted with the idea of helping Bosh obtain a maximum contract via a sign-and-trade deal, according to a league source.
Because of the higher annual raises and additional year a "home" team can offer its own player, Bosh could make $125.5 million over six years if he re-signed with the Raptors and they moved him elsewhere; he could make $96.1 million over five years by signing outright with another team.
The difference in the first five years of the deal would amount to $4 million.
And, writes Adande:
The Houston Rockets, Dallas Mavericks, San Antonio Spurs, Cleveland Cavaliers and New York Knicks are believed to have submitted trade proposals for Bosh to the Raptors, and apparently none has impressed Toronto.
Bosh's Twitterization of the courting process, which included several tweets of anticipation leading up to the July 1 commencement of free agency, didn't sit well with the Raptors either, the source said.
Bosh has played his entire NBA career with Toronto, as guard Dwyane Wade has with the Miami Heat. There has been much speculation about some combination of Wade, Bosh and the Cavaliers' LeBron James joining the same team.
Wade doesn't think he'll make a decision until at least Monday, according to a report from ESPNChicago.com:
In addition to the Chicago Bulls, Wade has met with the New York Knicks and New Jersey Nets, and was scheduled to meet with the Miami Heat, long considered the favorite to sign him, Saturday in Chicago.
"At the end of the day, your decision goes on what's best for you and your family," Wade told the television station. "I think that the organizations I've been brought in to meet with are all good organizations. And all can add something to my life, and not just basketball-wise.
"I understand that if myself and another guy and we have some good players around, we'll be good. To me, it's about what makes 40 years of my life and not just about the next 10."