LeBron James' Next Move
LeBron James is looking for a new jersey to wear on the court. LeBron hit the free agent market a minute after midnight, and so the lobbying begins.
LeBron, also known as "The King," weighs in at 6'9 and 260 pounds, and will easily land a contract for the league maximum of $130 million over six years, but which lucky team will get to pay the bill?
From the Chicago Bulls to the New York Knicks, even President Obama and New York's Mayor Bloomberg are putting in their opinion on where LeBron should end up. Co-anchor Harry Smith got some insight on the frenzy from Chris Russo, headliner of Sirius XM's sports talk, Thursday morning on "The Early Show".
Right now LeBron is considered a one man economy booster, whatever city he chooses will see a spike in ticket sales, tourism, and merchandising, changing a city overnight. But what team is flashy enough to catch LeBron's eye? The word on the street is that the Bulls may have an edge.
Despite popular opinion, LeBron is not talking to anybody except other players about what their plans may be. There is plenty of speculation that LeBron as well as Dwyane Wade are both planning on making their way to the Heat, but the air behind that talk is just as hot as Miami is.
"I don't think LeBron knows yet. So the idea that him and Wade and Chris Bosh are figuring out a way to get to Miami I don't necessarily buy," said Russo. "I think it comes out of two places. I think the Bulls have the most talent. They have Derrick Rose, the loyalty issue to stay in Cleveland. I think it's Cavs (Cleveland Cavaliers) or (Chicago) Bulls, I don't think Knicks, Nets, Clippers or Heat. They all take their shot at it, but I think Bulls/Cavs. "
But the Bulls have a legacy that is hard to follow. Former player Michael Jordan still has a statue in the stadium, and his six championship titles leave a mark that will not be soon forgotten.
"I wouldn't go there, you wouldn't go there, the legacy has already been established. Why would you want to follow Jordan in Chicago. It's a different era. But he may not feel that way," explained Russo.
Russo also predicts that the Cleveland Cavaliers may be hiring coach Byron Scott, the former coach of the Nets who also played for the Lakers. If Scott gets the job, which seems likely, it will help bring LeBron to Cleveland.
But the future is very unsure as the teams begin rallying in the free agent market.
"The thing about LeBron is look at the NBA (National Basketball Association), it's got a salary cap," said Russo."So the Knicks can't go 50 million dollars more than Cleveland. Cleveland can pay more money than any other team can. That's an edge too, keep that in mind."