Adam Zagoria covers basketball at all levels. He is the author of two books and an award-winning journalist whose articles have appeared in ESPN The Magazine, SLAM, Sheridan Hoops, Sports Illustrated, Basketball Times and in newspapers nationwide.
LeBron James becomes a free agent on Thursday and the Knicks are wasting no time in courting the King.
Brian Windhorst of The Cleveland Plain Dealer is reporting that the Knicks are planning “an elaborate meal and meeting with James in a high-end location in Manhattan during the afternoon and evening of July 1, which is next Thursday. The tentative plan is for Knicks management and officials to host James and his various agents and friends for a large dinner party catered by a celebrity chef.”
Citing a source, Windhorst also wrote that “the Knicks are currently scouring the city for an available high-rise condo or apartment with a great view to rent for the event, the source said.”
The Knicks have just four players signed for next season and more than $30 million in cap space.
The Knicks will likely bring in other free agents after July 1, including Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Joe Johnson, Amar’e Stoudemire, Carlos Boozer and perhaps Dirk Nowitzki.
While at one point the Knicks had the most free-agent money to spend, that honor now goes to the Miami Heat, who have some $43 million to let fly. They have enough to keep Wade, sign another max-contract guy and still have about $10-11 million remaining, ESPN.com reported.
“The situation in Miami is a little different than us. To analyze it and say, ‘Well, now they’ve got a lot more cap room,’ yeah, they do. But if they’re wanting to sign some of their own players, then that would lessen it,” Knicks president Donnie Walsh told reporters in Greenburgh, N.Y. Thursday night, according to ESPN.com. “As far as Chicago, they’ve got more cap money than they had. There’s no doubt about that.”
The Bulls also have about $30 million in cap space after dealing Kirk Hinrich and the No. 17 pick in the draft to the Washington Wizards.
(Photo courtesy AP)
Follow Adam Zagoria on Twitter
Adam Zagoria is a Basketball Insider who covers basketball at all levels. A contributor to The New York Times and SportsNet New York (SNY), he is also the author of two books and is an award-winning journalist and filmmaker. His articles have appeared in ESPN The Magazine, SLAM, Sheridan Hoops, Basketball Times and in newspapers nationwide. He also won an Emmy award for his work on the SNY mini-documentary on Syracuse guard Tyus Battle.
A veteran Ultimate Frisbee player, he has competed in numerous National and World Championships and, perhaps more importantly, his teams won the Westchester Summer League (WSL) championships in 2011 and 2013.
He lives in Manhattan with his wife and children.
LeBron James becomes a free agent on Thursday and the Knicks are wasting no time in courting the King.
Brian Windhorst of The Cleveland Plain Dealer is reporting that the Knicks are planning “an elaborate meal and meeting with James in a high-end location in Manhattan during the afternoon and evening of July 1, which is next Thursday. The tentative plan is for Knicks management and officials to host James and his various agents and friends for a large dinner party catered by a celebrity chef.”
Citing a source, Windhorst also wrote that “the Knicks are currently scouring the city for an available high-rise condo or apartment with a great view to rent for the event, the source said.”
The Knicks have just four players signed for next season and more than $30 million in cap space.
The Knicks will likely bring in other free agents after July 1, including Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Joe Johnson, Amar’e Stoudemire, Carlos Boozer and perhaps Dirk Nowitzki.
While at one point the Knicks had the most free-agent money to spend, that honor now goes to the Miami Heat, who have some $43 million to let fly. They have enough to keep Wade, sign another max-contract guy and still have about $10-11 million remaining, ESPN.com reported.
“The situation in Miami is a little different than us. To analyze it and say, ‘Well, now they’ve got a lot more cap room,’ yeah, they do. But if they’re wanting to sign some of their own players, then that would lessen it,” Knicks president Donnie Walsh told reporters in Greenburgh, N.Y. Thursday night, according to ESPN.com. “As far as Chicago, they’ve got more cap money than they had. There’s no doubt about that.”
The Bulls also have about $30 million in cap space after dealing Kirk Hinrich and the No. 17 pick in the draft to the Washington Wizards.
(Photo courtesy AP)
Follow Adam Zagoria on Twitter
