The Domino Effect Final Part
Where will LeBron James most likely end up if he is not a Cleveland Cavalier next season?
In Chicago. Why would LeBron James join the Bulls next season? There are a lot of reasons for this. So let's break it down.
Money? Check
Chicago is home to the third largest market in North America. However, the Bulls have made more profits than any other NBA team throughout the course of the last decade. The Chicago Bulls brand is still the most recognizable worldwide and there are possibly more Bulls fans outside of Chicago than in the city itself. As much as New York can help sell LeBron, due to Jordan's Bulls, the game of basketball spread internationally like it never had before. A generation of Bulls fans have literally come and gone and have not seen the Bulls reach title glory in 12 years. Although Michael Jordan is still on the minds of basketball fans everywhere, enough time has passed for the torch the pass on. LeBron would have the opportunity to globalize the Bulls brand and extend it farther than where MJ left off. The whispers of "the next Jordan" will turn into "will LeBron be greater than Jordan"? And that alone will start a marketing atmosphere greater than the NBA has ever seen. Why? Because the Bulls, the franchise that for a decade made basketball the most popular sport in America, would be back.
Endorsements would be huge. Yes, LeBron could make a global market for himself wherever he went (he arguably already has). But the Chicago Bulls brand is bigger than the New York Knicks brand internationally. And if LeBron really wants to become the first billionaire athlete, he arguably might be better served in a Bulls jersey than a Knicks one.
Talent? Check
Chicago offers the greatest amount of talent out of all of the teams with major cap space this summer. The team is already tailored for LeBron to come in and wreck havoc on the league. Even if Luol Deng isn't moved for another star player, both LeBron and Deng are capable of playing other positions. Deng could play the "stretch 4" ala Jeff Green, Rashard Lewis, Antawn Jamison, etc. And LeBron would be more than capable of playing shooting guard for Chicago. A starting lineup of Derrick Rose, LeBron James, Luol Deng, Taj Gibson and Joakim Noah with Kirk Hinrich and James Johnson off the bench would be tremendous both offensively and defensively.
The Bulls are already one of the best defensive teams in the league without LeBron. They're just missing that second go-to offensive guy outside of Rose to really compete for a championship. LeBron could be that guy. And even with him signed to a maximum contract, the Bulls would still have money to play with and flexibility with Hinrich and Deng's contracts. They're also bringing over a 7-footer, defensive-minded center in Omer Asik from Turkey who the Bulls used three second round draft picks two summers ago to acquire. And they also have their own mid-first round draft pick to use in what is supposedly a very deep draft. In addition, with that lineup in place, savvy veterans will most likely be willing to sign with Chicago for the MLE or minimum in order to have a chance at a ring. Chicago would have the right balance of younger and older players that could keep their success wagon churning for the next decade. The Bulls could have a legitimate chance at a creating a dynasty. And that's what it really comes down to. Joining Chicago would be a basketball move for LeBron as much as it would be a financial one.
Overtaking the title of greatest of all time (GOAT)? Possible check
Playing with the Bulls would give LeBron his best opportunity of overtaking Michael Jordan as being the greatest player of all time. The best way to do this would be to take away some of the shine off of that statue in front of the United Center by making the house that Jordan built into LeBron's house. LeBron would arguably already have a better supporting cast of characters now by joining Chicago than MJ ever had. And over time, they'll just get better. If LeBron signs with Chicago and the Bulls are unable to get another star in a sign-and-trade deal, you just know that within a few years the Bulls will get someone else via free agency. Why? Because success attracts success. Just look at Ron Artest joining the Lakers this season. Artest could have probably fetched upwards of 10 million dollars a year, but he instead decided to sign for the MLE for a chance to get a title and make boatloads off of endorsements in Los Angeles. Other free agents will be thinking the same about Chicago should LeBron choose to join the Bulls. Having Rose and Noah at LeBron's side would make the Bulls an even more attractive team to play on than they currently are now. Why face them when you can join them? That's what some of the big time free agents will be thinking in the coming years. And should LeBron's Bulls break that 72-win regular season record, you better believe that LBJ can overtake MJ.
The end result is that Chicago just makes a lot of sense for LeBron on so many levels. And it's no coincidence that I've been talking about this possibility since early on this season when others were not. Why? It's not because I'm an admitted Bulls fan. It's because it just simply makes sense. If LeBron wants money he goes to New York. If he wants multiple championships, he begs for a sign-and-trade to a current contender and prays that Cleveland obliges. But if he wants both? His best chance would be Chicago. It's that simple. None of the other franchises in the league currently can offer both. The stars have seemingly aligned for the Bulls and they could be the luckiest franchise ever to land both Rose and LeBron within three years. That would make for an unbelievable story. We'll ultimately see what happens, but Chicago's chances are very good. They are currently the frontrunners in acquiring. But anything can change between now and July 1st. Only time will tell what will really happen. And it should make for a very interesting offseason.
What are the Chicago Bulls' chances of landing LeBron if he decides to leave Cleveland? 35%
