6/13/2014 The Story of Melo to Miami

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NBA
The Story of Melo to Miami
Sources out of Miami say that LeBron, Wade, and Bosh are all considering opting out
of their contracts this summer, taking less money, and recruiting Melo to join them
on South Beach.
BY ANDREW SHARP ON JUNE 12, 2014
PROLOGUE
Sometime in the last 24 hours, you may have heard that the Miami Heat are planning on making a run
at Carmelo Anthony this summer. Weve heard murmurs of this for months now. Miamis always been
a fun hypothetical to throw out for Carmelo. But yesterdays report from Brian Windhorst and Marc
Stein took things to a whole other level. Its real now. Or at least its a lot less ridiculous than it was.
Sources out of Miami say that LeBron, Wade, and Bosh are all considering opting out of their contracts
this summer, taking less money, and recruiting Melo to join them on South Beach.
Will any of this actually happen? Who knows! But were discussing it anyway, because its way too
much fun to just dismiss. So heres how this story played out as I tried to process it last night.
CHAPTER 1: Hope
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It makes a lot of sense for Carmelo. Thats no. 1. Its easy to say when were not the ones leaving tens of
millions of dollars on the table, sure. But remember how miserable he looked in New York last year?
Thats a man who knows money isnt everything.
Carmelo is a great player, and hes been called overrated for so long that now hes probably one of the
most underrated players of this generation. Can he carry a team by himself? No. Can he go toe-to-toe
with LeBron and Durant? No. But if you put him next to LeBron and simplify his job, things could get
diabolical. Think back to the Olympics, when Team USA went small and pushed Carmelo to the 4. All
he had to do was score, and all he did was dominate.
Thats why Miami makes sense for Carmelo. Its not a guarantee that hed get to reprise his Team USA
role with the Heat, or that any of this would go that smoothly, but the dream is worth chasing. You
couldnt even call him selfish. Leaving for Miami and taking less money would tell the whole world that
all he wants to do is win.
Everywhere else he could go Chicago, the Lakers, the Rockets, maybe Dallas would come with all
the same pressure he had in New York. But Miami would give him a chance to come in and be a crucial
piece of a title team, without having to carry the offense. It could rejuvenate his career and, just as
important, it might actually make basketball fun for Carmelo for the first time since the Beijing
Olympics.
CHAPTER 2: Empires
This makes even more sense for LeBron, Wade, and Bosh. Theyve already made most of their max
deals at this point, so taking a pay cut for the next few years and extending their title window becomes a
lot more attractive. Again, this is easier to say as the guy whos not giving up tens of millions of dollars,
but its not like theyll be signing for the minimum all of a sudden. This can work, and as Amin
Elhassan points out at ESPN Insider, there are a few different ways to make reduced salaries fit under
the cap.
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Couple that with endorsements thatll help cover the salary sacrifices, the chance at more winning,
and the legacy of four superstars changing the NBA landscape all by themselves, and you can see why
the Big Three might want to do this. Adding a superstar like Carmelo would be complicated as hell on
the court, but its also the one way the Heat could double down on the past four years and try to take this
to an even crazier level.
CHAPTER 3: Beats, Rhymes, Life
The most amazing detail from the Stein and Windhorst story:
while James was leading the Heat to a victory over the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference
finals, sources say the 29-year-old was finalizing what is believed to be the biggest equity cash
payout for a professional athlete in history as part of Apples recent $3 billion purchase of Beats
Electronics. Sources briefed on the situation say James realized a profit of more than $30 million
in cash and stock in the Beats sale after he had struck a deal to get a small stake in the company at
its inception in 2008 in exchange for promoting its high-end headphones.
Regardless of what happens with Carmelo, Im really glad we found out about LeBrons secret jackpot
with Beats by Dre.
Its the best celebrity equity power play since 50 Cent turned Formula 50 into hundreds of millions of
dollars, and it also means that if Carmelo joins the Heat, Ill probably write several versions of a Did
Dr. Dre ruin the NBA? #hotsportstakes next year. (That doctor just put this league on life support.
Straight outta Compton? Well, now were headed straight to hell.)
CHAPTER 4: The Cold War
Imagine Phil Jackson, if this fantasy ever becomes reality. He just took over in New York, and his first
two months could see him lose Steve Kerr, hire Derek Fisher, and lose Carmelo, virtually guaranteeing
at least two years of misery in New York, while Pat Riley guarantees two or three more years of
contending in Miami.
When you think about Phil Jackson, Pat Rileys one of the only people alive who can actually compare
rsums without getting laughed out of the room. Even after Phils five titles with the Lakers, Rileys
probably still more beloved among those fans. Hes also been wildly successful as an executive in
Miami, and for all of Phils Zen wisdom, Pat Rileys Machiavellian moves have proven just as successful
over the years. Remember when he stole Lamar Odom from the Clippers, then used Odom to steal
Shaq from the Lakers and go off to win a title?
Pat Riley might be the closest thing we have to Tywin Lannister in real life. The scheming just never
stops. The Phil-Pat arms race was looking pretty one-sided when the Bulls were torturing the Knicks in
the mid-90s, but in the past three years, its starting to get a lot closer.
CHAPTER 5: The 100 Years War
The Pat-Phil Cold War is getting good, but the open animosity between the Knicks and Heat has been
great forever.
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If Carmelo leaves and it actually turns into a title for Miami, Knicks fans will curse Pat Rileys existence
until the end of time.
CHAPTER 6: Whither Team Toast?
Right this second, somewhere in an impossibly luxurious, impeccably decorated New York City
apartment, Amare Stoudemire stares at a frayed copy of the New York Post. And he gently weeps.
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CHAPTER 7: Super Mario
If the Heat sign Melo, they have to bring back Mario this summer. It doesnt matter what happens the
rest of the Finals. Nobodys a real member of the Heat until theyre giving death stares to Chalmers on
national TV.
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CHAPTER 8: Brothers Forever
Im not including this because a Big Four would make for a triumphant green room reunion from 2003

Im including it because I went on Wikipedia last night to look at the 03 draft, and even 12 hours
later, I still cant believe the Knicks took Mike Sweetney in the Top 10.
CHAPTER 9: There Will Be Haters
I dont think everybodys going to lose their minds and worry about LeBron and the Heat killing the
integrity of sports we all did that the first time around, and most people have sobered up since then.
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But people will mock this team relentlessly, because thats what we do when any team stacks the deck
like this.
Then once the games start, well either see underdogs pulling off inspiring upsets, or see one of the
greatest offensive teams of all time carve up the NBA. Its a win-win regardless. And everybody will
watch to see which direction it goes on any given night. Thats why this would be good for the NBA.
Even the people who hate it will watch so they can root against it.
CHAPTER 10: And Then There Will Be HATERS
OK, so maybe some people will lose their minds and start ranting about LeBron ruining the integrity of
sports.
Most of those people will be NBA owners.
It wont matter that Melo in Miami will spark more interest in the NBA than weve had since 2010, or
that Melo in Miami definitely doesnt make the Heat unbeatable. The principle of four players taking
less money to completely circumvent the system will horrify other owners, and if it happens, itll lead
to some kind of dramatic showdown during the CBA talks in 2017.
Owners cant have it both ways, though. This is what happens when you cap salaries for the best
players on earth. Eventually, guys like LeBron can make so much money elsewhere that its not
actually that crazy to give up $8 million to $10 million of NBA salary to play with his superstar friends.
If its the difference between $40 million and $10 million per year, thats one thing. But were talking
about the difference between $20 million and $10 million. For a guy who made $30 million in one day
two weeks ago, giving up $10 million for a chance at a title isnt actually that crazy. This is the world the
owners have created for themselves.
CHAPTER 11: Great Expectations
Even if everyone takes less money in Miami, even if Carmelo decides to take a pay cut, even if the Big
Three really does turn into the Big Four this summer it probably wont end with a title. How many
rosters have come together to unleash one of the most dominant seasons ever, and then fall flat
somewhere along the way? The Lakers last year, the Heat in 2010, the Lakers in 2004 it almost never
works like its supposed to.
Adding Carmelo wont necessarily be a great fit on the court. The biggest piece of the Heats dominance
has always started on defense, and if you put Carmelo in the mix along with a hobbling Dwyane Wade,
thats two guys on defense who scare absolutely no one.
Throw in Melos ball-stopping tendencies and the challenge of making that work within Miamis
frenetic, pass-first offense, and it gets even more complicated. Miami still needs more depth, and
thats before Ray Allen (probably) retires and Rashard Lewis finally perishes into dust. Wade and Bosh
are regressing a little more every year, there would be daily scrutiny of them all, and the East wont be
this bad again.
Its not to say Miami cant keep winning with Carmelo, but hes not a one-man cure for all the factors
working against them. Theres a much better chance this would fail.
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CHAPTER 12: Screw It, Just Do It
Because WHY NOT? It could never happen in any other sport.
True, this is why some people hate the NBA, but even those casual fans would tune in to root against
the Heat. It would be so much fun to watch it all descend into chaos.
We could credit it all to Dr. Dre, we could watch guys like Dan Gilbert and Ted Leonsis have a seizure
watching this wreck competitive balance, we could watch LeBron and Wade assert more control over
their sport than weve seen from athletes anywhere, we could spend the whole year waiting to see if the
Spurs or Thunder or Rockets will just beat them anyway. Michael Jordan would give so many
interviews saying he never teamed up with the enemy, eventually hed just be scolding random people
at Charlotte grocery stores.
Good or bad, wed all be entertained. It would add more drama to the NBA than weve had since 2010.
Thats why we should root for this.
Will any of it actually materialize in real life? Probably not. There are too many moving pieces. Its too
far-fetched. I know.
But were OK either way.
If it happens, well remember the next year forever. If not, Ill always remember the one day during the
NBA Finals when the whole world started fantasizing about Carmelo in Miami. It was stupid. It was
ridiculous. It was such a great way to waste time until Game 4.