NBA free agency fever is about to spike off the top of the thermometer. Over at ESPN they have a roundtable discussion with eight NBA experts predicting where the top free agents will land. I’ve got my own thoughts on the final destinations of these key players:
LeBron James – Cleveland Cavaliers
I’ve gone back and forth on this one. Ultimately I think that if LeBron leaves Cleveland he will be admitting failure. I don’t think he’ll be willing to do that, nor take the chance of leaving his comfort zone in Ohio. I also don’t think he’ll be willing to go to a team where he takes the chance of not being considered “the man.”
Dwayne Wade – Miami Heat
This is a pretty easy call at this point.
Chris Bosh – Miami Heat
Bosh will happily take the max contract and a chance to play with D Wade and the Heat will happily acquire him in a sign and trade.
Joe Johnson – Atlanta Hawks
Word is out tonight that the Hawks will offer JJ the maximum deal – that is all he’ll need to hear.
Dirk Nowitzki – Dallas Mavericks
Absolute no-brainer.
Paul Pierce – Boston Celtics
Another non-event – with the announcement by Doc Rivers that he is returning to the Celtics for at least one more year it is clear they are pulling the team back together for one more run.
Amare Stoudamire – New York Knicks
The Knicks will have missed out on a lot of guys by this point and will be happy to give Amare his money. Amare will feel like he’s finally getting his due.
Carlos Boozer – Chicago Bulls
Boozer will be an excellent addition for the Bulls and will step in nicely at the four slot next to Noah. He certainly has experience playing with an elite point guard.
David Lee – New York Knicks
A known commodity in the locker room, the Knicks will bring Lee back on board to play next to Amare on the frontline. At this point they’ll also want to bring in a few additional pieces, maybe Raymond Felton and Richard Jefferson.
Rudy Gay – New Jersey Nets
I think the Nets will come really close to getting a few of the major free agents. But in the end they will all go elsewhere and the Nets will overpay to make a splash with Gay.
Let me know what you think – post your predictions in the comments section below.
Your predictions look very possible, do you have a crystal ball? hehehe.