If you're tired watching soccer, baseball and summer reruns on the boob tube, check out ESPN this evening at 9 p.m. (ET) when the network airs the Queen James Drama Hour.
Make sure you set your PVR for 9:00 p.m. ET on Thursday night. Like the rest of us sports betting fans, you wouldn’t want to miss the new episode of Community on NBC.
Either that or you wouldn’t want to miss where Queen James is going to sign on Thursday night. That’s right, we may as well tab him a queen considering he quit on his team in the playoffs and called ESPN to have a one-hour special just to make his signing decision public to the nation. But I digress.
Some teams have already made moves without waiting on LeBron. Some people deem these signings to be contingency moves where as many other believe them to be little carrots to attract James. Here’s a breakdown of the upgraded teams and how they would fare if they signed LeBron.
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New York Knicks
The New York Knicks signed Amare Stoudemire to a five-year, $100 million contract. It’s a hefty to price to pay but the Knicks do get a premier power forward who is fun to watch and will bring fans to Madison Square Garden. Maybe Carlos Boozer would have been a better choice, but Stoudemire has worked with coach Mike D’Antoni before.
The Knicks only have Stoudemire, Wilson Chandler and Danilo Gallinari to work with, so they don’t have much. But they could be a point guard – i.e., Monta Ellis – aware from being a seven or eight seed in the East.
If They Sign LeBron
The Knicks have the most flexibility going forward even if they sign James, which has to appeal to him. With James, they would piece him with the aforementioned three players and then look for a point guard.
If they could swing the Ellis deal or sign Raymond Felton, the Knicks will be a very good team in 2010. Depth is an issue, but they would be a contender in the East. LeBron worked with about the same in Cleveland, but better depth.
Chicago Bulls
The Bulls are getting a bit nervous. They thought they might have a good chance at Dwyane Wade, then they thought they might have Wade and Chris Bosh,. Now they have neither and it appears James is slipping away.
Chicago did sign Boozer, which gives the Bulls a solid threat at power forward to pair with Derrick Rose. They are still missing an outside shooter – boy, how nice would it have been had they kept Ben Gordon – but they’ll have to settle for someone like J.J. Redick, if possible.
With a legit power forward, though, the Bulls are improved to a degree. Noah and Boozer are as strong of a front court as you’ll find in the East but Rose doesn’t have much help in the back court.
If They Sign LeBron
Signing James would be a huge coup for the Bulls who would immediately become an NBA Championship contender. With Rose, James, Deng, Boozer and Noah, they would have a starting five to rival anyone. The bench would need some work but that can be pieced together in the coming years.
Many people still believe the Bulls to be the favorites to land James because of Rose. In any other situation, James is playing with a lackluster point guard.
New Jersey Nets
This team is fading and fading quickly. It’s closing time at the bar, all of their buddies are taking home a girl and the Nets? Well, Wendy’s is still open so they can eat great, even late.
Joe Johnson and Dirk Nowitzki re-signed with their clubs, Stoudemire joined the Knicks, Bosh and Wade are in Miami, which means the Nets will start looking at guys like Mike Miller soon. Yikes. Enjoy the first pick in the 2011 NBA Draft (or simply the most lottery balls again).
If They Sign LeBron
About the only reason this can’t be discounted is because of the Jay-z factor. If the Nets do sign James, obviously they become an immediate contender. Devin Harris is a very underrated point guard and the Nets do have talent – believe it or not. Brook Lopez, Terrence Williams and Courtney Lee are good, young players. Throw in first-round pick Derrick Favors and the Nets – very quietly – have a good lineup with LeBron in. Some wins will breed confidence for this young squad.
But the reality is that without James, there is no superstar here and they are one of the worse teams in the league.
Miami Heat
The Heat needed to add a power forward and they look like they got their premier guy in Bosh. It’s not like the acquisition of Shaquille O’Neal a few years back but the fact that Wade has someone to distract defensive attention from him will now help him grow back into the elite superstar that he is.
Miami needs help, though, and lots of it. Especially if the signing of Bosh turns into a sign-and-trade. Getting Felton would alleviate the point guard concerns but the Heat needs depth and role players big time.
If They Sign LeBron
The Heat has Wade and Bosh already; paired with James, Miami would have a trio of superstars like no other. James and Wade are a better tandem overall than Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen, and Bosh gives this squad a third All-Star.
They would still need players around them – probably just a few shooters – but the trio would be eyeing championships together.