BigP50
04-21-2012
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NBA free agency tips off tonight at 12:01 a.m. ET. How will it all go down? We asked our experts for their best guesses on where the top 10 free agents will land this summer.
James
Where will LeBron James sign?
Henry Abbott, TrueHoop: Chicago Bulls. Though if playing with Wade and Bosh trumps all, he'll end up in Miami. More likely than 50-50? No.
J.A Adande: Chicago Bulls. They have max salary space and they're playoff-capable even without him. But with so many other teams vying for his interest, it's not an even money bet. More likely than 50-50? No.
Kevin Arnovitz, TrueHoop: Chicago Bulls. They are the only team in the field that features youthful assets (Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah) and the cap space required to sign an additional max contract to play alongside James. More likely than 50/50? No.
Larry Coon, special to ESPN.com: Chicago Bulls. Big city, a team that's clearly his to lead, and a nucleus that can be competitive right away all add up to the biggest free-agency defection since Shaq in 1996 -- but nobody really knows the mind of LeBron. More likely than 50/50? No.
Chad Ford, ESPN.com: Chicago Bulls. They offer the best combination of a huge market and a chance to win now with a young supporting cast. More likely than 50/50? No.
John Hollinger, ESPN.com: Chicago Bulls. I see Chicago and Cleveland as slight favorites, but Miami, New York and New Jersey are very much in the game. More likely than 50-50? No, not even close.
Chris Sheridan, ESPN.com: New York Knicks. He has done some of his best flirting at Madison Square Garden. (I was a witness.) More likely than 50-50? No.
Marc Stein, ESPN.com: Cleveland Cavaliers. I still see this a 50/50 deal with at least four other teams (Chicago, Miami, New Jersey and Dallas) about to get serious consideration from LeBron. So I'm going with the Cavs by default -- for now -- for two reasons:
(1) I can't believe no one else in this group thinks he's staying and (2) I think leaving his hometown team is far more emotionally wrenching than any of us on the outside realize. Watch this space, though. More likely than 50-50? No.
Where will Chris Bosh sign?
Abbott: Chicago Bulls. The real answer to this question is "wherever LeBron goes." More likely than 50-50? No.
Adande: Chicago Bulls. If he can get paid and play with LeBron it would be ideal, but this is his chance to make huge dollars, so it's not odds-on that he winds up alongside another star. More likely than 50-50? No.
Arnovitz: Chicago Bulls. They can offer Bosh the max, his natural position alongside a defensive-minded center, and the opportunity to play with a perimeter superstar. More likely than 50-50? Yes.
Coon: New York Knicks. Bosh is the hardest call of the bunch -- the Raptors are open to a sign-and-trade, which puts the entire league in play. More likely than 50-50? No.
Ford: Miami Heat. Bosh has so many options, but I think it's likely he pairs with either Wade or Bron. More likely than 50-50? No.
Hollinger: Not even sure who to make the favorite; I'll say Chicago. More likely than 50-50? Nowhere close to 50-50, obviously.
Sheridan: New York. He wants to go where LeBron is going, so my answer here has to match my LBJ answer above. More likely than 50-50? No.
Stein: Miami Heat. More and more I believe that Bosh wants to make an early commitment to the Heat and then LeBron will either join Bosh and Wade or do his own thing. But Chicago is still out there as a very enticing option for Bosh, especially if he goes in tandem with LeBron. More likely than 50-50? No.
James
Where will LeBron James sign?
Henry Abbott, TrueHoop: Chicago Bulls. Though if playing with Wade and Bosh trumps all, he'll end up in Miami. More likely than 50-50? No.
J.A Adande: Chicago Bulls. They have max salary space and they're playoff-capable even without him. But with so many other teams vying for his interest, it's not an even money bet. More likely than 50-50? No.
Kevin Arnovitz, TrueHoop: Chicago Bulls. They are the only team in the field that features youthful assets (Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah) and the cap space required to sign an additional max contract to play alongside James. More likely than 50/50? No.
Larry Coon, special to ESPN.com: Chicago Bulls. Big city, a team that's clearly his to lead, and a nucleus that can be competitive right away all add up to the biggest free-agency defection since Shaq in 1996 -- but nobody really knows the mind of LeBron. More likely than 50/50? No.
Chad Ford, ESPN.com: Chicago Bulls. They offer the best combination of a huge market and a chance to win now with a young supporting cast. More likely than 50/50? No.
John Hollinger, ESPN.com: Chicago Bulls. I see Chicago and Cleveland as slight favorites, but Miami, New York and New Jersey are very much in the game. More likely than 50-50? No, not even close.
Chris Sheridan, ESPN.com: New York Knicks. He has done some of his best flirting at Madison Square Garden. (I was a witness.) More likely than 50-50? No.
Marc Stein, ESPN.com: Cleveland Cavaliers. I still see this a 50/50 deal with at least four other teams (Chicago, Miami, New Jersey and Dallas) about to get serious consideration from LeBron. So I'm going with the Cavs by default -- for now -- for two reasons:
(1) I can't believe no one else in this group thinks he's staying and (2) I think leaving his hometown team is far more emotionally wrenching than any of us on the outside realize. Watch this space, though. More likely than 50-50? No.
Where will Chris Bosh sign?
Abbott: Chicago Bulls. The real answer to this question is "wherever LeBron goes." More likely than 50-50? No.
Adande: Chicago Bulls. If he can get paid and play with LeBron it would be ideal, but this is his chance to make huge dollars, so it's not odds-on that he winds up alongside another star. More likely than 50-50? No.
Arnovitz: Chicago Bulls. They can offer Bosh the max, his natural position alongside a defensive-minded center, and the opportunity to play with a perimeter superstar. More likely than 50-50? Yes.
Coon: New York Knicks. Bosh is the hardest call of the bunch -- the Raptors are open to a sign-and-trade, which puts the entire league in play. More likely than 50-50? No.
Ford: Miami Heat. Bosh has so many options, but I think it's likely he pairs with either Wade or Bron. More likely than 50-50? No.
Hollinger: Not even sure who to make the favorite; I'll say Chicago. More likely than 50-50? Nowhere close to 50-50, obviously.
Sheridan: New York. He wants to go where LeBron is going, so my answer here has to match my LBJ answer above. More likely than 50-50? No.
Stein: Miami Heat. More and more I believe that Bosh wants to make an early commitment to the Heat and then LeBron will either join Bosh and Wade or do his own thing. But Chicago is still out there as a very enticing option for Bosh, especially if he goes in tandem with LeBron. More likely than 50-50? No.
