Alright folks, put your picket signs down and get your panties out of a bunch, I’m not talking about the G-8 Summit. No, that fun event and its protests will be in
Rather, I’m referring to the recently announced super summit of NBA free agents, planned to occur sometime before the July 1st start to free agent signings. Apparently Dwayne Wade, LeBron James, Joe Johnson, and Chris Bosh are opting to meet in order to discuss their free agency plans in regards to where they hope to sign and what salaries they will demand.
For all intensive purposes, they are pooling their resources to ensure that they all get what they want and know how the dominoes will fall. But wait a second, aren’t they all already part of a union? Why the need to meet separately?
In reality, this sounds more like the other guys want to see what thought process Lebron James is following, so they can know how the fallout will shake out for them. Wade will likely be the next to go after James, with Bosh and Johnson likely to follow depending on the fates of fellow free agents Dirk Nowitzki and Amare Stoudamire, who are not confirmed for this “summit.”
The question is, why hasn’t someone else thought of this sooner? Maximizing salaries and predicting landing spots is something that agents are usually left in charge of. However, in these days of agents over estimating markets and failing to secure long-term deals in all sports, perhaps this is the best way to ensure that everyone gets their fair shake, especially considering the magnitude of the players available is perhaps unlike any previous class ever. No more worries about collusion to control salaries, just playing the game off the court like it is on the court, as a team, to get the best results.
Then again, based on the outcome of said meetings, these players can come off looking pompous and headstrong. They could demand astronomical deals or force “package” signings of multiple players because they know how the market will play out and they know how to leverage the teams based on what is out there.
If past NBA free agency is any indicator, the dominoes will fall fast, so Wade and his summit are doing their best to stay ahead of it. Only time will tell if the decision to act was a smart business move or an effort of futility.
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