As NBA free agency heats up, fans and reporters everywhere are for LeBron James next decision. There is a lot of speculation that James will not be extending his tenure with the Miami Heat. The Heat signed Danny Granger and Josh McRoberts.
James met with Pat Riley today and did not make a deal with Miami. Also, moving trucks were seen at LeBron’s home in Florida, which could indicate he will not sign a deal with the Heat. James did not make a decision at all after the meeting with Riley.
Here are five potential landing spots for the best player in the NBA
1. Cleveland Cavaliers: Many NBA fans may scoff at this idea. Why would LeBron return to the city he outraged four years ago on national television? Playing alongside Kyrie Irving has more upside than what most fans realize. At some point, Irving will stay healthy and display even better shooting with more experience under his belt. They also have an up and coming star in Andrew Wiggins and a strong guard off the bench in Dion Waiters, who proved last year he can consistently score 21 points a game as a substitute. If James decides to return to the Cavaliers, it is all too easy to guess that Luol Deng will be right behind him. The challenge for Cleveland is convincing James that the Cavaliers will be disciplined and fast paced. This team did not show up on offense last year, which is mostly a result of sloppy passing and lack of ability to shoot open shots. Will James also be convinced that Cleveland’s new coach is the right man for the job?
As tough as this may seem, Cleveland is close to landing LeBron. A major three team trade involving Sergey Karasev, Tyler Zeller, and Jarrett Jack freed a lot of cap space. The two other teams involved in the trade were the Boston Celtics and the Brooklyn Nets.
The Cavs are also being ambitious by targeting LeBron’s former teammate Ray Allen and small forward Mike Miller.
In addition, it was reported that the Cavs may trade Wiggins to Minnesota for Kevin Love. The trade proposal is pending the Minnesota Timberwolves decision.
2. Chicago Bulls: Will James continue to stick with a team that is expected to make a playoff run? Will playing alongside Joakim Noah and Derrick Rose be a huge sell for James. The biggest question is will James accept the challenge in being in the shadow of Michael Jordan?
3. Miami Heat– Things are not looking good for Miami. Bosh will likely sign with Houston. Dwayne Wade is still a free agent. Granger and McRoberts signed with the Heat. These are not splashy moves at all.
4. Houston Rockets– If James wants to move west, Houston should be considered a prime destination. This team is now a powerhouse and is threatening to sign Chris Bosh.
5. Los Angeles Clippers– If there is one team in the west that could make a move for James, it is the Clippers. As much as Lakers fans feel a chill in their spines, James will not likely entertain the notion of playing alongside Kobe Bryant, who is entering his twilight years. The city of Los Angeles needs a new king other than their hockey team that just won the Stanley Cup. The Clippers are rising above the Lakers in terms of their power base and assuming James can coexist with Blake Griffin and Chris Paul, the Clippers have a least an outside chance of landing him. James would likely have to accept a pay cut but he may be able to get a better contract from the Clippers than the Lakers. Also, the Los Angeles market is very appealing.