Free Agency 2010 - A Summer to remember

Its gonna be one crazy summer!

If anyone wants to make a fortune in just under 2 months, all you need to do is get Lebron James, Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh, Amare Stoudamire and the rest of the famed free agency class of 2010 to wear a GPS tracker.

Following Cavaliers Eastern Conference semi-finals loss to the Celtics, the most talked about story in town is where is Lebron James headed for? The King led the Cavs to back to back finishes at top for the regular season and back to back eliminations from the playoffs. The season when the Cavs went to the finals with James(2007), they finished no. 2 in the east and were swept by the Spurs in 4.

Trawl the net and you will find a gazillion articles about where all these guys are possibly headed with stats and figures ranging from the salary caps to the luxury tax rule. A great article is this. I find it more appealing to a basketball enthusiast to approach this summer purely from a fan’s point of view. So here is what I am going to do. The following is what I think will be the top 5 places for Lebron to go purely from a fan’s perspective. Here we go:

5.) Cleveland Cavaliers : Before you move to the next, just give this a thought. In a league where money (frankly) speaks and everyone wants to become a millionaire, how about some super-duper star coming along and showing some good old loyalty. If James was to sign back with the Cavs, he would forever become a legend both in the NBA and well a super-duper legend in Cleveland. It helps that he played his high school ball in Akron. And it will put additional pressure on the Cavs management to put in the missing pieces for James to get the championship. Ohh and there’s the small fact that Cleveland citizens will continue to hope for their first major sporting title in 45(46 next year) years.

4.) New York Knicks: Kobe scored 52 against NYK, the next night Lebron comes and scores 62! There’s something about Madison Square Garden and marquee players. If James comes to the Big Apple, he will not only become very very rich but also become the Apple of every New Yorker’s eye (pun intended :) ). With all the hoopla surrounding this transfer, James and NYC will become one heady cocktail. NYK have a young team, which can be built around James and thus can bring back the glory years of the Knickerbockers.

3.) Boston Celtics : The Celtics are looking good for another championship run this year but their squad is not a dynasty squad. If James comes to the Celtics, the backcourt of Rondo and James will be quite an awesome combo. Celtics are steeped in hoops history and culture, with 18 banners. The Celtics will get another couple of years out of the big three and James will enable them to be perennial title contenders. By the time the big three retire, Doc Rivers will have time to get in the missing pieces. I can already see the burning flame of Celtic pride burning brighter.

2.) Orlando Magic: What do you get when the best offensive weapon and the best defensive weapon get onto the same team? Well for the opposition – mayhem but for the Magic, a hoops version of the fun at Disney-world. Can’t you just see Howard blocking a shot and passing it to a streaking James for a tomahawk dunk at the other end. Or James drilling a last second three pointer off a screen set by Howard. Okay I just got goosebumps.

1.) Los Angeles Lakers: Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum, Lebrom James, Kobe Bryant, Lamar Odom on the court at the same time. This could possibly be the best on-court 5 ever to step onto a NBA court (Well maybe a young Shaq instead of Bynum but…..). And coached by Phil Jackson. At Staples Center. In LA. But above all Lebron James and Kobe Bryant on the same team….. enough said….

What is actually going to happen? You know what, I can’t wait to find out!