NBA Free Agents 2014 Predictions: How LeBron James' Return to Cleveland Cavaliers Affects Remaining Free Agency Decisions
Four years ago, LeBron James made "The Decision" to leave the state he grew up with and the team he made relevant, the Cleveland Cavaliers, to take his talents to South Beach and join the Miami Heat, building a team that won two NBA titles in the last four years.
Four years later, with "The Decision: Part II" he has once again shaken the NBA sports world with three simple words: I'm coming home.
In an exclusive story with Sports Illustrated published Friday, James, a four-time NBA MVP winner and the most recognizable player in the NBA today, elected -- and explained -- to make a move that has sent waves around the NBA as he opted to return to his home state of Ohio and to the Cavaliers. He has opted to leave the comfort, palm trees and near-sure thing NBA title bet in Miami with Dwyane Wade and (maybe) Chris Bosh for one thing: the chance to go home and win a championship for the title-starved city of Cleveland, where no sports franchise has won a world title since the Browns won the 1964 NFL Championship.
To achieve that would mean true sports immortality -- not just in the NBA, but in all of sports -- and forever cement his legacy as one of sports' greatest heroes and icons.
But as Cleveland fans rejoice the return of their hometown hero while Miami Heat fans are left in stunned shock and anger as their once-bright future now becomes clouded, the ripples are already beginning to be felt around the NBA free agency market this summer as the first -- the biggest -- domino has fallen, which will undoubtedly cause even more falling dominoes to follow.
Make no mistake, as star-studded as the NBA free agents market is this summer, no star is bigger, more impactful or more powerful than James. He's the biggest and brightest star in the NBA universe, hands down. His decisions, his play shape the very fabric of the NBA. And now, you can bet that the other remaining superstars left out there on the market will be basing their decisions in part due to James' latest move.
Latin Post takes a look at where the biggest NBA free agents left on the market may end up in light of James' return to Cleveland:
Chris Bosh
At this point, it's safe to say that the Big Three era in Miami is officially over, and Bosh will be the next of the former trio to leave.
Bosh came to Miami in 2010 to form the most high-profile trio in recent sports memory in order to win championships. After four NBA Finals appearances and two world titles, Bosh has drunken from the sweet cup of victory. But things weren't looking optimistic for Bosh returning before. He wasn't the star that James is, he wasn't the franchise icon that Wade has become, and all indications showed that he was going to take a pay cut if the Heat were going to make one more title run. While the Heat can obviously offer him max money now, why would Bosh want to stay? James is gone, and so is the Heat's automatic entry into the NBA Finals each year. And he was never a great fit in Miami. The Houston Rockets, however, can offer him a sweet max deal worth $88 million. And going with the theme of "coming home," Texas is Bosh's home state. And with stars like James Harden and Dwight Howard to team up with, adding Bosh to that mix would give the reigning NBA champion San Antonio Spurs something to worry about.
Prediction: Houston Rockets
Carmelo Anthony
Remember when speculation ran rampant that Anthony might be headed to South Beach to join James, Wade and Bosh? Yeah, that's done.
With LeBron going home, the race is down to the New York Knicks, Los Angeles Lakers and Chicago Bulls for the Melo Sweepstakes. L.A. has Kobe Bryant, but not much else, and that team is looking like a fixer-upper. Chicago has a lot more to offer in terms of title-winning aspirations, with All-Star Joakim Noah and superstar Derrick Rose, but Rose's knee issues and health have perpetually kept him on the sidelines since April 2012. New York is a mess, that much is certain, but they have a few things going for them. One, they can offer Anthony a sweet $130 million deal to stay for the prime years of his career. Second, they have Phil Jackson in the front office already making bold moves to gut the current Knicks roster and prepare the Knicks for a legitimate shot at an NBA title in the next two to three seasons. And third, Melo was born in Brooklyn. He was a Knicks fan in his childhood, idolizing Bernard King. There may be a part of him deep down that recognizes what winning an NBA title in New York for the first time since 1973 would mean for his legacy. And with cap space to spare after next season, if Anthony stays, the Knicks can only get better.
Prediction: New York Knicks
Dwyane Wade
Wade is Miami. He brought the team its first NBA title in 2006, and he was part of its most exciting and controversial era during the last four years of "the Heatles." With James gone, Miami once again becomes Wade's town, and the Heat his team. Don't expect him to go anywhere; yes, Chicago is his hometown, but Miami is where his legacy is, and odds are that, even with his knees having issues, Pat Riley isn't letting the team's most beloved player walk. And frankly, even though the Heat's title-winning days are over for the foreseeable future, it's hard to imagine Wade wanting to go anywhere else aside from the warm weather and glamour of South Beach.
Prediction: Miami Heat
Pau Gasol
Don't expect Gasol to end up in Cleveland with James, but wherever he does end up, he's going to make some team a winner. Word has it that he's looking hard at the Lakers, the Knicks and the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Lakers have the inside track, of course, and being pals with Kobe may play a factor in Gasol remaining a Laker. New York, however, has another Gasol pal, Phil Jackson, running the ship and given their history, that might make the Spaniard curious enough to want to take a bite out of the Big Apple. And with league MVP Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook on their side, OKC can give Gasol the chance to win now. But Gasol may be done with the intensity of the Western Conference, and he may want to see if he, Melo and Jackson can build something special in New York.
Prediction: New York Knicks
Luol Deng
While it would have been ideal for Deng to stick around in Cleveland with James, chances are that the talented All-Star small forward is heading elsewhere, looking for big dollars and a situation where he can win. Enter the Phoenix Suns, who finished with an impressive 48-34 record despite narrowly missing the playoffs. Young, talented, and on the rise, Deng could be the piece that the Suns need to get to the next level.
Prediction: Phoenix Suns