The Genuine Candidates
3. Cavaliers: The Cavaliers have the inertia and home state factor, which absolutely counts for a lot in this decision. LeBron must also surely trust Dan Gilbert's unwavering dedication to spending money by the truckload to bring in any player that could conceivably help their chances, but their core has proven to be underwhelming and is also aging.
Cleveland had a chance to have cap room for this coming summer, but went all in with the double-down strategy and it is difficult to see how they can get more than just incrementally better from year to year.
We all know it doesn't work this way, but if LeBron could be simply handed titles over the next half decade and he was also given his choice of where he would do it, I sincerely believe it would be in Cleveland.
2. Knicks: Answering the same question, I believe New York would be LeBron's first preference after Cleveland; his obsession with the energy and culture of New York is palpable and is unlike anything we've witnessed from a star of his magnitude.
He knows the Knicks will spend as much as possible and give him every accommodation in the world, plus he will conceivably bring along Bosh or Wade, but how much trust does he have in Danilo Gallinari, Wilson Chandler, Toney Douglas and whatever they can get back for Eddy Curry's expiring contract? Conceivably, that would eventually be enough for the Knicks to win a title(s), but LeBron fully knows now that there are no guarantees. The second superstar makes all the world of difference compared to the last two seasons with the Cavaliers, but it could still not be enough firepower, depending on how other teams evolve.
1. Bulls: The nucleus of Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah seems tailor-made for a superstar wing and Chicago also has Luol Deng as a fourth option, or even Bosh or Wade if they do a sign-and-trade using Deng. Add in Kirk Hinrich and Taj Gibson and the spectra of MJ's statue becomes less of an issue than it seemed a few months ago because LeBron would have the cleanest path to a title in Chicago.
If John Calipari is hired, LeBron and Rose will be able to run Vance Walberg's dribble-drive offense like it is on steroids and you won't see the kind of offensive inconsistency we saw against Boston. It will be an endless loop of dribble penetration of two unstoppable athletes and an endless loop of championships.
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