A New King In Cleveland?

I will admit it: I picked the Cavs on my blog to beat the Celtics only because I didn't want to jinx Boston winning. I felt the Celtics had enough all along to take down the King and company. But now that it's over, I truly feel bad for LeBron. I have started to like LeBron more as a player this year, especially when he's putting up 30, 9 and 7 a game. After a timeout last night, towards the end of the game, I saw him rush over to the bench and sit down. To me, it looked like he was trembling. He knew that he was less than two minutes away from possibly his final game in a Cavs uniform, and I am sure this will be a tough decision for him.

The other reason why I feel horrible for LeBron is because I know that deep down inside, he wants to stay in Cleveland. It's close to home and the fans have treated him like more than a God. He wanted a championship more than anything, and this year especially because he would have returned for sure if he won a ring. But now that the Boston gang took him down, I unfortunately say he'll be out of Cleveland next year.

Now I personally want him to return to Cleveland and win a title, but I just don't think it's going to happen right now. I've spent a lot of time thinking about this, and my first guess is that he'll end up in Chicago. I think it makes perfect sense: the Bulls got rid of a great player in John Salmons before the trade deadline, but they did that to make room for two All Stars. They have one of the best upcoming point guards in Derrick Rose, and if they can get another great player, maybe a Chris Bosh, Joe Johnson or Carlos Boozer, then I think LeBron will not pass up an offer like that. I don't see him landing in New York, even though almost every Knicks fan thinks he will.

I also wouldn't be surprised to see him land with the Clippers: they have some great young talent in Chris Kaman, Eric Gordon and Blake Griffin, and they should have another lottery pick after the draft. Let's face it: LeBron wants big money, but I think being the best player ever is even more important to him than the cash. To do that, he'll have to win titles, so I think he'll definitely land in a place with room for more All Stars. Chicago and LA are the two likely destinations in my mind.

Now this guy is the biggest offseason story of the incredible 2010 free agent class. Everybody wants to know where LeBron will land. He has many, many options. I think he'll land with the Bulls, but I know that wherever he goes, the team will compete for a title.