We already knew that Carmelo Anthony was a free agent. The former Knicks forward decided a few days ago that he would not continue with his current contract and would test out the free agency market. Now, according to reports, fellow eastern conference all-star forward LeBron James will be doing the same thing. Before we get going, let’s all remember that just because a player opts out of their current contract, it doesn’t automatically mean that they’re going to sign for a different team. But since we’re in the business of discussing the most exciting possibilities, let’s just assume that both players will not stay with their current teams. If we’re going to get out of the way, i’ll go ahead and say that I think it’s MUCH more likely for LeBron to return to Miami rather than Melo to New York. It’s mostly because Anthony does not have much to want to go back to in New York. Phil Jackson and a new coach are there but if you’re Melo, don’t you want to win, right now? The eastern conference is really open and there are a few logical destinations. The biggest and most obvious destination for Carmelo to land is Chicago. It just makes sense. They can make the right moves, create the right space and be the best destination for a new title contender in the eastern conference. What better way to ease Derrick Rose back into his role? Melo would take a massive scoring load off Rose’s back and would provide some much-needed offense on a Bulls team that struggled to score throughout the regular season and especially during the playoffs. Where else can Anthony land? The Lakers because they have a great pick, will have Kobe returning and because they’re the Lakers. A further long shot includes my Mavericks, who will have the room and are still able to provide a stable organization with top-tier teammates and coaching. Personally, i’d rather Dallas not acquire Melo because the Mavs had no trouble scoring last season and would rather they focus on getting defense along the perimeter and in the paint. The Knicks are still a solid contender simply because they’re in New York and would provide the biggest contract.
There is also a strong possibility that Melo just scratches all of his previous plays and decides to jump on whatever team LeBron is joining. I’m more interested in what LeBron does simply because he’s the best player in the league and any slight movement will cause tidal waves in the basketball world. We need to prepare for the barrage of “sources confirm” tweets and stories popping up on the sports tickers while we continue to watch the World Cup. Is there a better chance for a up-and-coming reporter to gamble on a “source story” than right now? Whatever the lead may be, anything that involves James will be an interesting read. Just for the record: if LeBron happens to join a team in the western conference, they should just designate the eastern conference as “the other d-league” or something along those lines. If LeBron only cares about winning, he could beat Melo to the punch and join the Bulls. An easy path to Finals makes it most likely that LeBron stays in the same conference, which is why even a return to Cleveland is now in play. But can James really put away all the bad blood between himself, the fans and Cavs owner Dan Gilbert? Cleveland’s first pick in this year’s draft sweetens up the pot and makes it seem like a much more enticing location. It’s just that the Cavaliers are such a mess right now and I don’t think throwing LeBron at the situation will fix their problems. There’s also the possibility that James just heads to the Lakers and tries to stay in the biggest spotlight possible. Or what about their same-city rivals the Clippers? My mind is racing with the possibilities that can happen for the best basketball player on the planet. LeBron, for the love of everything that you’re trying to represent, please don’t make another “The Decision” mistake again. That’s honestly my only request.
My BOLD prediction: LeBron James shocks the world and decides to sign for the Dallas Cowboys.
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....and now he is not picking up the option.
Another lbj, "Look at me, look at me," moment.