Dunk Base

Written by Jon Brown and edited by Jason Rubin

Will LeBron James really leave Cleveland as a free agent this off-season? Where would he go if he did? Is it worth leaving a title contender to go to New York?

If it weren't for "H1N1" and "economic climate", "2010 free agent class" would probably be the most used term for the last year and most of the next year.  Most of all the talk focuses on Cleveland Cavaliers superstar, LeBron James.  He is the reigning NBA MVP and considered by many to be the best player in the league.  Many think he'll stay in Cleveland but others think he might end up in the Big Apple.

It doesn't seem likely that LeBron ends up in New York when he has much more appealing options that have a better chance at winning a title.  One of those teams is New Jersey.  With the Nets moving to large market in Brooklyn and LeBron’s good friend, Jay-Z, a part owner of the team, the Nets should seem very appealing to LeBron.  In fact, New Jersey is probably LeBron’s most likely destination should he choose to bolt his home state.

Let us take a look at what LeBron stands to gain by staying put or teaming up with Hova and moving to Brooklyn.  I will also explain why a team, which is not currently being mentioned among the hot spot destinations on the “King’s Free Agent Courting Tour”.  First of all, why would LeBron want to stay in Cleveland?  The Cavaliers have come close to titles before, but you have to believe a competitor like James thinks his own improvement alone might be enough to get them over the top.  And yet the Cavs keep on falling short of a title.  They are a team that is always one move away from a ring.  So I can see why he would think he can win a title in Cleveland.

However, a lot depends on this season and how well he meshes with his new second option, Shaquille O'Neal.  Shaq was acquired to relieve the scoring pressure on LeBron and add championship experience to a team looking to go all the way.  Thus far, things haven't looked smooth and they might even fall to 4th or 5th among teams looking most primed to take a serious title run behind Boston, the LA Lakers, Orlando and perhaps even San Antonio.  The Cavs have been moving backwards from a title appearance, to a conference finals appearance, to what could be a second round exit this season.  LeBron might want to look elsewhere if the team continues to regress.

If he leaves without a ring, though, would that make him look like a failure in his own eyes or the eyes of others?  This could be a factor in his decision as could his feelings on bringing a title to Ohio.  Would he leave on these terms?

Perhaps money may be the biggest factor.  His current team stands to offer him a longer and heftier deal than other teams can, which could appeal to the self-professed wanna-be billionaire. 
His curret roster has some aging pieces such as Zydrunas Ilguaskas, Shaq and Anthony Parker. So there is uncertainty to what type of roster he'd be returning to.  Mo Williams, Delonte West and Anderson Varejao are nice young pieces to help form a core but won't be enough to ensure annual title contention by any means.

If LeBron does decide to leave, New Jersey seems to have surpassed New York as the most popular hot spot in chat rooms and amongst hardwood, gossip folks.  The Nets’ new Russian billionaire owner, Mikhail Prokhorov, seem like the type of owner who won't be concerned with paying the luxury tax to surround LeBron with the kind of players he needs to succeed.

The Nets already have in place a nice young roster to entice LeBron.  Although they seem to be a lock for lottery status this year, they have a great young point guard in all-star, Devin Harris, as well as a potential post presence all-star in Brook Lopez.  Their youth is certainly appealing.  However, Idon't think James' home state, nor any other New York borough, would be a better choice for James.  I think there's only one place where James can go to do what he wants to do, which is to be the man on a championship team.

If LeBron wants to really upstage someone who has already achieved this feat such as Kobe Bryant, the best choice LeBron James could make this off-season is to sign with none other than the LA Clippers.  What a story it would be if LeBron were to act the savior by signing with arguably the worst franchise in NBA history.  There's more reasons to sign here than almost any other city and I'm happy to name them all.  We'll start with what has already been mentioned, his ability to go head to head with the guy he's chasing, Kobe Bryant

LeBron is a confident and possibly even arrogant type of guy.  He wants the attention of being the best.  He does not want to be #2 to Kobe.  What better way than to come to Kobe's city and take over with the Clippers.  What better way than to play him every chance he can get in the same stadium and try to beat him.   James has a more likeable public persona and could easily steal the spotlight.  Even though the Lakers are the Hollywood team and Kobe has seniority in the city, imagine a Clipper stealing Kobe's spotlight.  James really wants Kobe's status and if he's confident enough he can take it, this would be the best way to show his confidence.  Imagine what it would be like when the Lakers played the Clippers if LeBron was to get more love from the fans than Kobe? What would happen to city of Los Angeles? How could their be so much talent bursting from the city all at once?

Los Angeles would also make it easier for LeBron to focus on the big screen, which will no doubt become a bigger interest of his as time goes by and he moves farther along in his quest for a fortune. With all the fuss made about how LeBron could increase his worth in New York, I think LA could be an even better financial destination for him.  Let's face it, the movie industry is one of the easiest ways to get the type of bank account James desires, and the celebrity status he has would double in Los Angeles.

Any more reasons LeBron would want to sign with the league's worst franchise?  Maybe for the very reason that it is the league's worst franchise.  Imagine being the guy who won a ring in LA...for the Clippers.  Imagine being the guy that made that happen.   Not only would that be a feat in itself to put on his resume, but he would own the legacy of the franchise itself. LeBron would be the face of both the Cavaliers and the Clippers.  He would have done something that no one has done before him.  LeBron would be everything to them.  It’s no secret that he focuses on his own legacy.  So if he stopped to think about these potential perks, he most likely would be very intrigued.

However, in order to beat the man, be the man, lead the Clippers to a championship and own the franchise's history all to himself, he'll need the supporting cast to do it.  And boy, would he have it.  How about a point guard like Baron Davis?  He could easily average 10 apg throwing lobs to LeBron.  How about joining a fellow first overall pick of the NBA draft in Blake Griffin?  The three of those guys together in a running game would be amazing and close to unstoppable. Throw in the uber-talented scorer Eric Gordon and Chris Kaman and you've got yourself a championship caliber starting unit.  Al Thronton would be expendable and ideally used to acquire a backup swingman who excels on the defensive end and can shoot with range to spread the floor for his teammates.  DeAndre Jordan and Craig Smith would be ideal big men off the bench up to complement LeBron and Sebastian Telfair would keep things going when Baron needs to take a breather.  In fact, when Baron Davis declines, Telfair would likely take over for him and still complement LeBron well.

I don't think any other potential roster, for teams who could reasonably add James, would look as vicious as the Clipper. But this is just my opinion. I'm not King James, but if I was, I know where I'd move.  I would go straight into Kobe's house and take over the lease.

The above article was written by Jon Brown and edited by Jason Rubin.

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