CHRIS BOSH.......More good news for Raptors fans……after the collapse of this season all looked dim and disappointing, but in the past few weeks we have learned that Maple Leafs Sports Entertainment has already approved Brian Colangelo to spend into the salary cap this upcoming year, and then this past week we learned (reportedly!) that CB4 has given a list of 5 teams (Toronto, Knicks, Lakers, Bulls, Heat) he would prefer to play for going forward….
Many see Toronto on that list and say “ya right” but I do maintain that when Bosh completes his evaluation of what is out there for him he may view the T-Dot as a legit option....what other team can we point to that will be as willing as the Raptors to build around him? And with other free agent big-man talent like Amar'e - Disco Dirk Nowitski - Carlos Boozer - David Lee out there this summer will Bosh even be the #1 desired big-man for all teams anyway?!?!
Many see Toronto on that list and say “ya right” but I do maintain that when Bosh completes his evaluation of what is out there for him he may view the T-Dot as a legit option....what other team can we point to that will be as willing as the Raptors to build around him? And with other free agent big-man talent like Amar'e - Disco Dirk Nowitski - Carlos Boozer - David Lee out there this summer will Bosh even be the #1 desired big-man for all teams anyway?!?!If CB4 does leave and does so by himself in a standard free-agent contract he will be leaving $30 million on the table as a sign-and-trade (meaning he would sign a maximum contract with the Toronto Raptors, and then be traded right away) is by far his most lucrative financial option......NBA rules allow the current team to pay their own free-agent maximum contract as an incentive for the player to remain with the current team.... meaning a slightly higher annual salary - plus slightly higher annual raises -plus slightly higher length then any other team can offer, so the total contract the Raptors can sign Bosh for would pay him approx $30 million more throughout the term then any other team could possibly offer him.......this is part of the Collective Bargaining Agreement to try to allow teams (and really fans) losing a known asset to not be left high-and-dry as there will be asset(s) coming back to the team losing their player
Now we know A LOT can change but from what we have right here-right now there are some hits, and some misses here as far as sign-and trade potential with the list Bosh reportedly gave......
The misses are easy - a sign-and-trade with the Heat gives back very little.......the Knicks may have even less.....the Knicks could at least potentially involve David Lee, but the timing required for that makes it unlikely as Bosh will want to wait until LeBron James makes his choice - but in the meantime Lee will be a hotly pursued free agent so when the dust settles on the LeBron-Wade-CB4 moves it is likely that Lee will already be spoken for somewhere 
else......if you are a Raptors fan (who wants CB4 to remain a Raptor) you are really hoping LeBron stays in Cleveland, or even better goes to a team in the Western Conference (believe it or not the Clippers make a ton of sense for King James) because if he does sign with either the Knicks or the Heat Bosh will surely insist on following and that lessens the potential of the asset(s) coming back to Toronto
For me it is also a miss to not have the Houston Rockets on that list as they have immediate upgrades for the Raps on defense, and BC may have been able to turn that scenario into a multi-player deal with Hedo Turkoglu and his contract leaving town.....but cest la vie I guess.......
Now we know A LOT can change but from what we have right here-right now there are some hits, and some misses here as far as sign-and trade potential with the list Bosh reportedly gave......
The misses are easy - a sign-and-trade with the Heat gives back very little.......the Knicks may have even less.....the Knicks could at least potentially involve David Lee, but the timing required for that makes it unlikely as Bosh will want to wait until LeBron James makes his choice - but in the meantime Lee will be a hotly pursued free agent so when the dust settles on the LeBron-Wade-CB4 moves it is likely that Lee will already be spoken for somewhere 
else......if you are a Raptors fan (who wants CB4 to remain a Raptor) you are really hoping LeBron stays in Cleveland, or even better goes to a team in the Western Conference (believe it or not the Clippers make a ton of sense for King James) because if he does sign with either the Knicks or the Heat Bosh will surely insist on following and that lessens the potential of the asset(s) coming back to TorontoFor me it is also a miss to not have the Houston Rockets on that list as they have immediate upgrades for the Raps on defense, and BC may have been able to turn that scenario into a multi-player deal with Hedo Turkoglu and his contract leaving town.....but cest la vie I guess.......
The hits are really exciting.....the Bulls are enticing for both Bosh and Toronto as CB4 may like the looks of that team with a great point guard in Derrick Rose, and a secondary scorer like Luol Deng, and for the Raps the Bulls can offer young talent like Taj Gibson or James Johnson....and even better yet they have an instant improvement to the lack of defensive effort/commitment/intensity in Joakim Noah..........any sign-and-trade scenario will have Colangelo insisting (at least in the early stages of the negotiations) that the team getting Bosh also take Hedo and his contract and the Bulls may be a rare team willing/able to do that.......
Any suitor for Chris Bosh is watching the LA Lakers very closely right now.....we know that LA, in particular Phil Jackson, is enamoured with CB4 and would love to have him as a Laker.....the hope would be that the Lakers win the NBA Title for a second-straight year thus leaving them to not want to move a major piece like Andrew Bynum, which effectively takes them off the table........this is huge for any Bosh suitor as a Bynum-for-Bosh sign-and-trade is the best option IMO for Toronto....other teams may be able to offer pieces - plural - but no team can offer a talent or potential like the Lakers can with Bynum, and if that really is on the table the Raps, I am sure, would be thrilled.......the potential here is to get a 23 year old back-to-the-basket 7-foot threat on offense who can also defend the rim very very well......Bynum has had a lot of injuries during his 5 years in the Association but he is the best upside player available IMO.......at that point the ball is in BC's court to try to really make this a blockbuster with LA as the Lakers have issues at the point guard spot (age and inconsistency) so perhaps Colangelo can get LA to take back Hedo if Jarret Jack is on the table as well......even just a 0ne-for-one CB4-for-Bynum is worth it for both teams
Leon Rose (LeBron James) and Henry Thomas (D-Wade and Bosh) may not be known to you now but they are the agents of several big-name free agents this summer and they will be instrumental in the look of the NBA going forward.....only they really have the answers right now.....only they really know if Bosh is really looking at just 5 teams, or even if Bosh will follow LeBron under any circumstances......for us only time will tell....
