LeBron James is a free agent this summer and his free agency will not be as a dramatic as "The Decision" from a number of years ago, but as he hits the market again, teams like the Chicago Bulls, LA Lakers, NY Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers, Milwaukee Bucks, Cleveland Cavaliers and every other team in the NBA will be looking at him as an option and while it's unlikely he will leave the Miami Heat, many thought the same thing back when he left the Cavs.
The situation now and the issues in Cleveland are obviously very different and with two/three championships under his belt with the Big 3, James will not have anything more to prove in this league and that is another reason why he could stay. The Knicks, Lakers and Cavaliers will try and trick themselves into thinking they can sign him, but James has the chance to continue on in Miami and adding more championships and he wants to be in Jordan territory and that is the best place to do it.
James is coming off of another great year and while he didn't win the MVP award, he averaged 27 points and six assists with nearly seven rebounds per game and if he hits the market, he obviously will be the biggest target. The Knicks have Carmelo Anthony and that situation to deal with and it's impossible for the team to sign Anthony and James, so basically there only chance would be to trade Tyson Chandler and everyone else while making a push for James and they have at least traded Chandler. The Knicks are a mess right now and there is no chance James signs there even if the fans wish it would happen.
Phil Jackson has some sway, but the Knicks are a year or two at minimum at being good and James is all about winning championships now and while bringing one to the Big Apple could be amazing, it's too much for James to do all alone. The Chicago Bulls could make a run at James as well if they move Carlos Boozer this offseason and they are a team that is also looking for a way to get Carmelo Anthony and they are a team that will be making moves this summer. Joakim Noah has been recruiting Anthony and with James likely to stay in Miami, Chicago knows it has to have some alternate plans.
The Lakers have cap issues now, but in the future they don't and adding LeBron James could be the perfect way to transition from Kobe Bryant. The Lakers would love to make a plays like that, but there's no way that's happening now, not with the way the team played last season. James has an established team in Miami and while the future of the Big 3 could be in question, Miami has shown that they are willing to build around James and that is likely where he will end up.
The Cavaliers obviously would love nothing more than to bring James home, but that has its own complications and while that would be fun as heck to see happen, it's not. LeBron may go for a farewell tour when he gets older, but as long as it's about championships, expect James to stay in Miami and re-up.
