Right now during a fantastic World Cup and heated baseball season, the NBA is still on everybody's mind. The Lakers are the champs, the draft has been held, and now it is time for the main event: free agency. The summer that will change the landscape of the NBA is finally upon us, and at NextGen Sports, we would like to show you where each marquee free agent will go and why
John's Predictions:
Lebron James: Chicago Bulls. They have enough salary space to sign two max contract free agents and are a young team that will only get better with Derrick Rose at point guard. The Bulls have been to the playoffs already and will give LeBron his best chance to win. Plus it doesn't hurt that Chicago is one of the three biggest sports markets in the United States along with New York and Los Angeles
Dwayne Wade: Miami Heat. Wade is absolutely staying in Miami. The Heat have enough money to sign three max salary free agents, so team president Pat Riley will make sure they resign Wade then go out and get two elite players to help Wade bring another championship to South Beach
Chris Bosh: Miami Heat. Once Wade is resigned, Bosh will be the first player Pat Riley will pursue. He would be a presence in the low post and be a huge upgrade over Udonis Haslem. Bosh is the one free agent that has absolutely no chance of staying on his team (Toronto Raptors) because he wants to win now
Amare Stoudemire: Phoenix Suns. The negotiations between Stoudemire and the Suns front office haven't been pretty. They told him at one point they didn't want to pay him as a max salary free agent, but changed their minds and are offering him three years at max salary. Phoenix is the place which best suits Stoudemire's skills as a big man in their transition offense
Joe Johnson: New York Knicks. The Knicks consider him as a plan B to LeBron, and by the day it is looking more and more likely that King James will not be playing in Madison Square Garden next year. Johnson's the next best scorer available besides Wade and James
Dirk Nowitzki: Dallas Mavericks. Dirk means as much to the Dallas fans as Wade means to Heat fans, and don't expect for owner Mark Cuban to let him go. He really hasn't shown any intentions of going anywhere else
Carlos Boozer: New York Knicks. The Knicks sign Boozer as the second of the two max salary free agents they can afford. Pairing him up with Joe Johnson will be pretty intimidating, but it sure isn't LeBron and Bosh
Paul Pierce: Boston Celtics. The Celtics won't let Pierce leave. He's been there his entire career, and they have been very successful as of late. Ray Allen, who is also a free agent, probably will be resigned as well. The Celtics want to keep their Big 3together and make perhaps one last run at the Finals
David Lee: New Jersey Nets. If the Knicks get Booz, Lee might go to the Nets. They just lost Yi Jianlian at forward, and even though Derrick Favors is a good prospect, the team views him more as a commodity to trade rather than a future face of the franchise.
Rudy Gay: New Jersey Nets. If things turn out as predicted here. the Nets will really not have landed an elite free agent. Rudy Gay is a pretty good consolation prize, and the Nets would probably overpay the young wingman
Daniel's Predictions:
Lebron James: Cleveland Cavaliers. LeBron has to stay in Cleveland. He was born in Akron, and his entire marketability is based on the hometown charm. Yes, the 2 time MVP could elevate to the world's most popular athlete in a market such as New York or eventually Brooklyn, but leaving Cleveland will enrage the entire state of Ohio.
Dwayne Wade: Miami Heat. He does not go anywhere. The Heat have enough cap room to sign 2 other maximum contract free agents. Yes, Wadee is a native of Chicago's South Side, but D-Wade is comfortable in South Beach. He is the definite face of the franchise, with Pat Riley waiting in the wings to coach another potential championship team
Chris Bosh: Miami Heat. Here is where it gets interesting. Bosh, in my opinion, is a great player but not a maximum contract guy. Let's look at the history of the "maximum contract guy ?" It was put in place to keep namely Larry Bird in Boston, offering him more money to stay with Celtics. Obviously, Bosh is very talented, but he is clearly not within the stratosphere of Bird. Bottom line: Bosh follows Wade to Miami.
Amar'e Stoudemire: New York Knicks. Injuries are certainly prevalent with Stoudemire. He had microfracture surgery just a couple of years ago, and a detached retina kept him out for most of 2008-09. Doctors say that one more poke in the eye could end Amar'e's career. That being said, he is certainly an elite power forward. I think he ends up in New York with his old, beloved coach, Mike D'Antoni.
Joe Johnson: New York Knicks. He does not deserve a maximum contract, but Atlanta reportedly thinks otherwise. Johnson lacks the maturity to lead a basketball team, and he is tired of playing in the shadows of downtown Atlanta. As a result, I see Johnson returning to Mike D'Antoni, his first NBA coach, in New York. He would love the opportunity to reignite an up tempo, gunning offense with his old teammate, Amar'e Stoudemire
Dirk Nowitzki: Cleveland Cavaliers. This former NBA MVP is probably the most overlooked player in the free agent class. I think the Mavericks have decided Dirk cannot be the leader of an NBA Championship team, evidenced by their collapse in 2006. In short, Nowitzki is a perfect fit for Cleveland. Expect Cavaliers' general manager Chris Grant to seriously pursue him as a running mate to LeBron
Carlos Boozer: Chicago Bulls. Boozer feels disrespected by the Utah Jazz. They refused to sign the former 2nd round pick to a contract extension. Furthermore, the Jazz currently lack the necessary money to resign Boozer. Look for the Chicago Bulls to sign Boozer. They need another inside force to help Joakim Noah. A trio of Rose, Noah and Boozer would be formidable, especially in the weak Eastern Conference
Paul Pierce: Boston Celtics. Doc Rivers is coming back, and, therefore, the Celtics captain will return, as well. Pierce's decision to opt out is a ploy to earn more money and not to leave Boston.
David Lee: New Jersey Nets. Quietly, he is one of the league's best offensive rebounders. I belive New York goes after Amar'e and Joe Johnson, leaving the soon-to-be Brooklyn Nets available to sign the former Florida standout.
Rudy Gay: New Jersey Nets. Gay has really matured since his days at UCONN. After the Nets traded Chris Douglas-Roberts away this offseason, owner Mikhail Prokhorov could pursue Rudy Gay. With a lineup potentially consisting of Devin Harris, Courteney Lee, Rudy Gay, David Lee, and Brook Lopez, the Nets should be a lock for the playoffs
-John Stoller, Daniel Radov
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