NBA Free Agency Rumor: LeBron James' Choice Down To Cavs Or Heat

How does the news that Chris Bosh has opted to join Dwyane Wade in Miami, eschewing a potential sign-and-trade to Cleveland, affect where everybody's favorite Global Icon, LeBron James, lands? Well, if an anonymous team official from one of the franchises pursuing James is to be believed, it means James will either follow Bosh to Miami or re-sign with the Cavs, according to Yahoo!'s Adrian Wojnarowski.

Throughout the melodrama that has been this summer's free agency, rumors have swirled that the trio of James, Wade and Bosh intended to join force in Miami and form a super-team. James was expected to be the first domino to fall in the line of NBA mega-free agents, but by preemptively committing to Miami, Bosh and Wade have effectively pressured James to do so as well. Aside from questions about whether jumping ship to Miami would "diminish the LeBron brand" by having to share the spotlight, the biggest obstacle for the proposed super-team would be that they'd only be able to add minimum contract players (in addition to their four second-round picks from this past year's draft) to their roster. Then again, they'd have LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh...it shouldn't be too hard to convince some ring-hungry vets to sign on as mercenaries for a year or two.


Beyond hometown loyalty, it's not clear what would entice James to remain in Cleveland. Indeed, after failing to convince Bosh to accept a trade to the Cavs, it's difficult to see how they could measurably improve their roster to compete in what figures to be an increasingly competitive Eastern Conference, with the Heat figuring to contend along with the Magic and Celtics.

Meanwhile, the ubiquitous Chris Broussard of ESPN (via Arash Markazi) disputes that the Heat and Cavs are the only remaining contenders for LeBron James' services, adding that the Bulls remain in the mix. According to Broussard, the Heat are the frontrunners for James at this point, with the Bulls the second favorites and the Cavs third.