Who’s Going Where? Predictions for the Top 5 NBA Free Agents

LeBron James. Dwyane Wade. Chris Bosh. Joe Johnson. Amar’e Stoudemire.

Without a doubt, those are the five names we will be hearing about most (if you’re not sick of them already) as soon as midnight strikes on good ‘ol July 1st.

Why?

Well, simply put, because each and everyone one of these players will not have an NBA team, will be in search of one, and will be in high demand.

Some might team up, some might go solo (again), others might make a trio, and could some go to Europe (okay, probably not). But heck, no one knows, especially when those so called “sources” are claiming that there are meetings being held in Miami, Chicago, via Skype, at LeBron’s house, and anywhere else you can imagine.

Whatever happens though, one thing is for sure: it will indeed change the course of the NBA’s future.

Kudos to the Celtics’ radio commentator, who after watching the Cavs get slapped out of the playoffs by Boston, said:

“..and the Celtics might have just changed the NBA landscape forever.”

Don’t believe it? I’m here to make you a believer.

So for those of you whom are unaware of the entire free-agent list, here it is in it’s entirety, so you can drool at the talent, and star-power.

So, you might ask yourself, who are the key teams in this free-agency bonanza, and who has the most mooh-lah to make it happen. There are numerous teams, but here’s a list of the teams who can spend the most, have the best pieces and can hit the jackpot:

1. Chicago Bulls – With players on a roster like Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah, and enough money to sign two players to a max-contract (meaning pretty much anyone), the Bulls are the team that holds the most cards.
2. Miami Heat – The Heat just got enough cap room to have nearly enough money for 3 max-contract spots, meaning if LeBron, Stoudemire, and Wade wanted to play in Miami, they could. But you’ve got to imagine that the rest of the roster would suck.
3. New York Knicks – It’s kind of funny how a year ago the Knicks and LeBron were two of the most searched topics on Google, yet the Knicks aren’t even the favorite to land the King. But anyways, the Knicks have the money and they have the “Big Apple” thing going for them, so how can you not take a second look?
4. New Jersey Nets – The Nets have Mikhail Porkhorov and now have a great coach in Avery Johnson. They also recently traded Yi Jianlian, and $3 million to the Wizards, which now lets them have enough space for 2 max-contracts. Also, Devin Harris and Brooke Lopez seem like great pieces to build around.
5. Los Angeles Clippers – The Clippers can sign only one player with a max-contract, but that’s not their main pitch. First of all, they play in LA, which is one of the greatest cities in the world. Second, they have a good-looking roster. When you have Baron Davis, Chris Kaman, Blake Griffin, and Eric Gordon, that’s not bad at all. So would LeBron look good in the red/white/blue? Maybe.

Those are the key teams, but that doesn’t mean they are the only teams to look at.

Let’s not forget the ex-teams for each of the stars, which always have home court advantage (i.e. Cleveland, Miami, Toronto, Phoenix, etc.). And might I add that even though the 5 teams above are great scenarios, the Cavs still have a good chance to resign LeBron, Miami seems like a favorite in Wade’s mind, and Toronto could have a shot at a sign and trade with Bosh.

So now that the top teams have been shown, how about the top stars? You know, that LeBron guy, and that kid Bosh. I mean, they are pretty much the reason as to why we are salivating at the thought of dotted lines being signed.

So why not dissect each of the top players, and explain (in my opinion) where each could sign?

LeBron James

The guy who’s holding all the cards. The guy who is changing his jersey number to 6 next season, and the guy who is making each and every single person in Ohio at risk for a heart attack.

Without a doubt, LeBron is the prize to be won, and each and every team with money is looking directly at him. The best player on the planet should have all this attention, and that is why we hear rumors left and right about Worldwide Wes, and Leon Rose (his agent), and how many sips of water he drinks while he’s in New York.

It just shows you how valuable the guy truly is.

Does that mean the team with the most money will obtain him? No, because if that were the case, LeBron would have signed with Cleveland, as the former team can always offer more money than any other team in the NBA.

Will he go to the team with the most talent? A healthy combination of both? I can’t tell you where he prefers to play, but I will give you my best guess.

Personal Prediction: Cleveland makes a couple of trades, and one is an eye-opener*, hire either Byron Scott or Brian Shaw as head coach, thus having LeBron feeling the “home pull”, and he signs a 3-year deal with the Cavs.

*Possible a big sign & trade, perhaps with Toronto??? (Interesting)

Dwyane Wade

Wade is right up there with LeBron. Young, a freakishly athletic monster, and a future Hall of Famer. Wade is the clear cut No.2, right behind James.

The one knock on Wade, is that he has already won a championship in 2006, and it will make it harder for other teams to pull Wade away from the beautiful city of Miami, which is where he did win the Finals in 2006. Might I add, Wade has made it clear he wants to return back to Miami, but there is always the catch. He has been telling Miami’s top officials since last year, he wants things done if he were to return, which basically means he wants a second guy in there.

Can Pat Riley get it done? Without a doubt, because the Heat can sign 2 max-contracts and possibly a third. But again, will it get done? That is the question.

Personal Prediction: The Heat go out and sign one of the big free-agents (Stoudemire/Johnson), use other cap space to sign lower level free-agents, Pat Riley takes over as coach, and Wade happily stays.

Chris Bosh

If I’m an NBA GM or owner, I want Bosh just as bad as I want LeBron or Wade. Bosh is clearly one of the game’s best players, and is also one of my favorite types of players: hybrids, meaning eaning he has the jumper, he has the post skills, and can also take it to the rim at times.

Players like Chris Bosh are hard to come by, and are very valuable. Put him with a great guard, or smaller forward, and that team will be very hard to beat.

That is exactly what it looks like will happen, as rumors mostly have Bosh going elsewhere with another big name. Could it possibly be down in Miami with Wade? Or would a sign & trade occur with Toronto, and a lucky bidder?

Personal Prediction: Toronto sees that Bosh is lost, and decide to do a sign & trade with a few teams with pieces. Possibly Mavericks, or maybe even the Cavs. Hard to predict sign & trades, but my opinion is that things go that way.

Amar’e Stoudemire

Amar’e is right up there with Bosh when it comes to valuable pieces. I don’t believe you can build a franchise around either, but add them to your roster with others, that team can easily become a contender any year.

Stoudemire has made his value that much stronger, as he has developed a great array of moves around the paint, and has gotten a good-looking, mid-range jumper. While he and the Suns have been rumored at having talks at the moment, nothing is official as of yet.

But the one thing that is for sure is that the Suns chances or re-signing Amar’e went down when they decided to part ways with ex-GM Steve Kerr. So is Amar’e headed out?

Personal Prediction: The Suns and Amar’e talks stall, Dwyane Wade uses his star power to lure Amar’e into Miami, as the two make a great combo and Stoudemire signs for about 3-5 years.

Joe Johnson

One of my favorite players in the NBA. I often compare Joe Johnson’s offense skill sets to that of Kobe Bryant. Don’t get me wrong, Joe is nowhere close to Kobe, but he seems to have the same array of weapons: the jump shot, the tenacity to attack the rim, and the pure offensive onslaughts he can put on.

Without a doubt, Joe is one of the better wing players in the league. Put him on a team, and he gives you great leadership, experience, and a 3-point threat. Is he a franchise player? In my opinion, no; but, he isn’t far from it.

Who wants him? Everyone, but the thing is, he isn’t at the top of their list…or is he? The Knicks have had great interest in Johnson and love his play. There has also been talk of Mark Cuban trying to pull of a sign and trade to bring Johnson to Dallas. Doesn’t sound too bad, does it?

Personal Prediction: The Knicks begin talks with Joe from the beginning, thus having them in a “favorite” position. The lure of New York takes Joe by storm, and he signs with them for 2-4 years faster than we think.

So as you can see, the star power is just as strong as the rumors. Sometimes, I even get tired of hearing them. But, at the same time, it’s what makes the off-season so special, and it’s what makes things so exciting for the fans.

So NBA fans, you better be prepared, because as soon as midnight strikes, the rumors and talks are going to reach a level we might not have seen before, and you all better be prepared. I know I will, and if you need the latest, just make sure to follow me on Twitter!

Once again, thanks, and stay tuned!

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