Free agent class of 2010 : Success or Bust

  As every wide eye NBA fan awaits the game of musical chairs and juxtaposition of the 2010 free agents, they also have to wonder: Could this prove to be the biggest bust ever?

 At first glance, that notion may come across as silly, when you think about it, the summer comes down to two key free agents: Lebron James & Dwayne Wade.  That’s it.

Wade is almost certain to remain in Miami which leaves Lebron as the wild card who’ll dangle everyone along until his decision is final.

 What about the rest of the crowd?  We still have Bosh, Nowitzki, Pierce, Johnson, Ray Allen, and a slew of others to account for.  That’s the major key to the puzzle here.  None of these players are really worth a maximum long-term contract for new teams. It’d make sense for Boston and Dallas to keep Pierce and Nowitzki.

 As for new teams giving those two max contracts?  Forget about it.  Pierce is towards the tail end of his career, and Dirk cannot be the number-one guy on a championship team.  He needs a fellow superstar to take on that burden in the clutch.  He is an ideal and exemplary number two guy.

 So how will all of this play out this summer?  If the free agents are added in supporting roles to help bolster and solidify potential contenders, they’ll be remembered as the 2010 class that helped changed the landscape of the NBA.

If teams opt to give the secondary players maximum long-term contracts, they’ll have effectively turned themselves into Clippers, AKA perennial non-contenders.   The summer of 2010 could also turn out to be the biggest bust in NBA history.

 The collective bargaining agreement is due for renegotiation in the summer of 2011.  David Stern is preparing for an all out war, and for the first time, I find myself siding with Stern.  (You don’t know how weird that feels to say that!)

 Nevertheless, if you opt to give Amare Stoudemire 75 million dollars for the next 5 years, you may want to remember that after next summer, you may be very likely able to get his services for half of that price. 

 Now, if you’re the GM/team that gave Amare 80 or 90 million, you’re going to feel worse than if you had drafted Michael Olowokandi while driving a 1975 Ford Pinto. You tied up your cap space and didn’t even get a recall (Nor a bailout come to think of it.)

 Maybe Chris Bosh joins Lebron somewhere or forces a sign & trade to a prominent team like the Lakers.  Both would have a significant impact on the NBA for years to come.  Then again, maybe they’ll opt for big money in their last hurrah with the false impression that they’re franchise players.

 We’ll see how this all plays out.  It’ll either be an unforgettable summer, or a very forgettable one.  Well, some teams will want to forget, but won’t be able to come pay day.