As LeBron James removed his jersey in the Fleet Center tunnel, sports fans in Cleveland were left to wonder if it was his last game with the Cavaliers. The mystery every basketball fan has been waiting to be revealed took center stage. That question is whether James will stay in Cleveland or leave for greener pastures.
The frontrunners in the James derby are the Chicago Bulls, New York Knicks, New Jersey Nets and Cleveland Cavaliers. The question of where James lands should depend on only one factor: Where can he win a championship now?
You might wonder how the Nets could possibly attract King James. Despite flirting with the worst regular-season record ever, the Nets do have some talented young players in Devin Harris and Brook Lopez. The Nets are moving to Brooklyn in two years, which would put LeBron in a big market. New Jersey also holds the highest chance of winning tonight’s draft lottery and landing Kentucky’s freshman dancing sensation John Wall. But LeBron won’t want to wait for Wall to develop before winning a championship.
Every move the Knicks made in the past two years has been in preparation for this summer, and they won’t go down without a fight. New York has little talent remaining, but it has two alluring aspects. The first is the city of New York, a market that LeBron has always loved. The Knicks could also use their extra cap space to sign another maximum contract player. When you add coach Mike D’Antoni and general manager Donnie Walsh to the mix, the Knicks are a feasible destination for James. Still, even with another superstar, the Knicks lack the supporting cast to immediately compete with the top Eastern Conference clubs.
The Cavaliers stand a fantastic chance to retain James and can offer him millions more than any other franchise. Despite a supposedly talented supporting cast, James still fell short this season, and moreover Cleveland is not the big city the King desires. LeBron has never left Ohio, but if an NBA Championship is what he wants the most, he’s going to have to leave home. He failed this year with a supporting cast built to win immediately, so why try for another six years with aging “stars” like Antawn Jamison and Shaquille O’Neal?It’s no secret James has idolized Michael Jordan. Where better to become the next Michael than the house that Jordan built? Chicago, though not quite as big as New York, is a huge market. There’s also a coaching vacancy in Chicago, and reports are that LeBron might have a say in the new boss. But the main reason James should come to Chicago is the Bulls give him the best chance to compete for an NBA title next season. The Bulls have an All-Star point guard in Derrick Rose and a feisty and talented big man in Joakim Noah. No other squad can offer a comparable group of role players, and that’s what is most important for LeBron. Regardless of market or ownership, Chicago is the only team that can bring the King a ring.
