NBA Free Agency: Decision Time For LeBron James

LeBron will reveal all live on ESPN, with the future of the entire NBA possibly hanging on his decision.

We are through the looking glass
Somebody call up Merriam-Webster, we need them to change the definition of power. Power is when one athlete can call the Worldwide Leader in Sports and get it to change its programming so he can address the people. On Thursday night at 9pm EST LeBron James will announce which NBA team he will sign for, live on ESPN. LeBron called the bosses in Bristol to ask for some airtime and they jumped at the chance. Even the President can only interrupt the networks on special occasions. All King James had to do was make one phone call and ESPN willingly did his bidding.

Now the fun question is where will LeBron go? The location of the broadcast has been kept secret so there are no clues there.  Personally I think it’s down to Miami, Chicago, and Cleveland. The Cavs are favorites but probably the worst fit for creating a championship winning team. Chicago has the tools but not enough to be a sure thing. Miami is the least attractive option financially but the Heat will try to clear enough cap space for LeBron and Chris Bosh to join D-Wade on South Beach. Whatever LeBron decides, it will have major NBA betting implications for years to come.

Panic time in New York
Signing Amar’e Stoudemire was undoubtedly a panic move by the New York Knicks. Joe Johnson was off the table and the other big targets for New York were mulling over options. After tanking two seasons just to get LeBron, it was only natural that the Knicks front office would be on edge. Signing Stoudemire immediately improves the Knicks quality on the court but it may not be the best move. He’s an undoubted talent but Amar’e Stoudemire can’t be the best player the Knicks sign this week if they want to appease the New York market. Throw in the leaking of New York’s presentation to LeBron and you have an organization that is struggling to keep it together. His majesty will not approve such a lack of calm. The clock is ticking so I have a simple message for the Knicks front office; sign LeBron or start looking for new jobs.

The field thins
Free agency only began last Friday but with Johnson, Stoudemire, Paul Pierce, and Dirk Nowitzki off the market, there are only a few big names left. Admittedly this includes the three biggest names and Carlos Boozer will also be a prize for whoever signs him. With a lot of teams looking to improve now, I’m looking at you Knicks and Nets, the ferocity of the contest for these last few big names is going to be immense. We will know a lot more about the winners and losers once LeBron has his say on Thursday.