I need to write what's on my mind quick about the whole "LeBron event" tonight. Personally, I am getting annoyed...but not with LeBron. I'm getting annoyed by the "reports by my sources" garbage that everyone and their sister uses now to speculate on where LeBron will sign. Oh, wait, I just used the word speculate...because THAT IS WHAT THEY'RE DOING! They aren't reporting anymore, which makes me wonder what they get paid to do. Stalk and stake out? Have intimate affairs with their camera crews in the van? Get their sources all boozed up so that they spill knowledge they don't even have a clue about to the "reporter"? Who knows...? All I know is that LeBron is Demi Moore, and the reporters/sport networks are the clay pottery spinning around in circles as "The King" creates his masterpiece.

Maybe that was a little too detailed...but it brings me to my main point to what tonight will actually be. LeBron wants this evening to be a "shock and awe" event. What better way to make a surprise annoucement, than to have everyone talking about where you are going...according to their "sources".

My feeling (not an off the wall feeling like the the LBJ to the Clippers idea) is that news will break all day today that LeBron is headed to Miami to join Wade and Bosh as if it were always planned. Then reports will break that Chicago and New York are making last minute, desperation, sales pitches to LeBron that he will be reportedly have "a tough time" deciding for sure. And as all this hoopla is going on, LeBron is licking his chops.............because he'll announce he's staying in Cleveland.

Think about his marketing campaign with Nike: Witness. It's all a part of the plan...we will all be "witnesses" to his big decision to stay home and win a championship for HIS city/state. Also, I think LeBron has bigger plans for NEXT summer...not this summer. Those plans are to get Chris Paul to Cleveland. Maybe that happens via trade this year, but next year for sure. We'll start hearing the "Chris Paul tells the Hornets that he will NOT sign an extension with them...and is demanding a trade"...which New Orleans will have to do to get anything in return.

 

Tonight, we will "witness"...LeBron: The Artist.

Before I get to MY LeBron idea, let's recap where we are in the NBA free agency frenzy. I am going to rank each marquee player with dollar signs, based on how much THE MONEY will play/did play as a factor in their decision, versus the desire the win a championship. Lets face it, 90% of these guys want the money and fame more than anything...even though you'll never hear that from them.

Amare Stoudamire - $$$$$
He took the big contract in the big city. Too bad it was a big mistake, because there is NO WAY LeBron is going to share the spotlight with Amare and his "me first" personality.



Chris Bosh - $$$$$
Bosh wants his money too. He wants to the be the man...not play behind the man. He's acting like he wants to go with LeBron, but all he is doing is making teams come after him harder. Bosh isn't a difference maker like Wade or James. Yes, he's a great player...but he needs a lot of tools around him to give him a chance at winning. I think he'll take the money and go to New Jersey or Miami (if Wade leaves).

Dwyane Wade - $$$$$
Wade gets three "$'s" because he's already won and he knows what it takes and what it feels like to win. He's getting paid no matter where he goes, he just has to realize that Bosh, James and co. don't want to steal his thunder and be the #2 guy in WADE's town. As each day passes, I think Wade stays in Miami and continues to lure in free agents each summer. If not Miami, he definitely goes to Chicago because of their talent and his kids.

Carlos Boozer - $$$$$
Boozer wants his money...but he will go where ever he is wanted. Someone is going to over pay for him, no question. But if he were to land in Miami once Bosh takes his money and David Lee takes his...Boozer could be a great fit. My guess is he lands in Miami, a place he has been linked to in rumors for years.

Joe Johnson - $$$$$
You can't blame him for staying home...but when I saw $119 million, I was waiting to read that it was over 20 years! This is an awful signing for the Hawks. If they don't win in the next 3 years, this contract will put them right back in the cellar. Good luck with that one Atlanta, the rest of the NBA thanks you for taking him off the market.


Dirk Nowitzki - $$$$$
Dirk getting paid $20 million a season to be a seven foot 3 point shooter?? You can have him Mark Cuban. Good luck finding money to spend on a what a seven footer SHOULD be doing...you know...like PLAYING DEFENSE! Like Joe Johnson, you can't blame Dirk for taking that kind of money to stay home...but they would have gone else where if someone could have paid them more money. They also get tagged as "loyal" now...which I doubt is the reason they stayed. Again...way over paid.

David Lee - $$$$$
I'm giving Lee four "$'s" because he'll get his money. I don't know if he wants as much star power attention as the rest of the major free agents, but I doubt he'll take that much less to play for a better team. Then again, he is the type of player that will get paid...but isn't a game changer. He needs players around him and might be willing to help a team out. I like him in a Timberwolves uniform...I just don't see it happening unless it's a sign and trade. He wants to win, but I don't think he cares if he plays in Minneapolis, Indianapolis, New York or Chicago...he's ok with being a #2 guy beacuse he'll get big bucks doing so. And he plays hard.

Everyone else - $$$$$ - Every other free agent is willing to go to a rebuilding team while getting over paid. They think they can make a difference...but they really can't unless there are other play makers on their team. 90% of these free agents will be over paid...which I absolutely hate that part of free agency. And a good chunk of those will most likely look at the Timberwovles as a place to "coast".

LeBron James:
I'm not rating hm on the "$" scale...because he'll get the largest amount he can no matter where he goes. Which brings me to my idea for what LeBron should do: GO TO LOS ANGELES! No...not the Lakers...THE CLIPPERS!

I know..."what the?!", "are you serious?", "there is no way he's going to the Clippers"....I get it. But hear me out on this one...

Reason #1 to sign with the Clippers: Fame and Fortune.
LeBron would instantly sell out every home game for the Clippers. He wants to build his LBJ empire right?? Why not do it where big time people take big time ideas and make them in to big time dollars? He'd have the West coast in the palm of his hand...not to mention the plethora of Hollywood stars who would instantly become Clippers fans.

Reason #2 to sign with the Clippers: Young Talent.
Think about this starting lineup for the next 5 years:

PG - Baron Davis (eventually replaced with a younger, better PG)
SG - Eric Gordon
SF - LeBron James
PF - Blake Griffin
C - Chris Kaman

Add to that the numerous amount of talented bench players like Drew Gooden, Rasual Butler, Travis Outlaw and rookie Al-Farouq Aminu. This is a guaranteed 50 win team every year (if they stay healthy). All this team needs is a super star like LeBron. This would immediately become one of those "LeBron can make anyone better if he can make the Clippers relevant". Great for the NBA, great for the LeBron legacy (especially if he gets a ring or two) and great for LA.

Reason #3 to sign with the Clippers: Media Buzz.
LeBron would be in the Western Conference...meaning, he only has to endure the "boos" of Cleveland, Miami, New York, New Jersey and Chicago once a year, rather than multiple times a year. Fans of Western Conference teams love LeBron, and now they'd get to see him more and more.

Reason #4 to sign with the Clippers: Kobe vs LeBron.
This would be the modern day Jordan vs Bird. The headlines would wreak of "LeBron out to de-throne Kobe as 'The King of LA', or 'The NEW King on the Block', or 'Staples Center: Kobe's house or LeBron's house?'..." The media circus for such a rivalry would be out of this world. The NBA might even put an annual Christmas event around it...like playing it outside in the Pasadena or something (ok, maybe not that big). This would be huge for the West Coast, fans of the NBA and the NBA itself.

Reason #1 NOT to sign with the Clippers: Ashton Kutcher and Malcolm.
Oh my word...I can't even imagine seeing him during games like we see Jack Nicholson. He'd even support the shades I bet...but he'd look douchey, not awesome. Then again...we would get to see Demi Moore a lot...so maybe we'd get used to it after a while...uuggh, but I don't want to.

We'd also have to deal with that "Malcolm in the Middle" kid Frankie Muniz. Is he still alive? If so...he'll be "reborn" by People Magazine.

Overall, LeBron in a Clippers uniform is about as likely to happen as the Timberwolves trying to sign Joe Smith to another "under the table" contract this season. But you can't argue against what I've said...can you? It'd be a great situation for all parties...at least to the extent of what I said above. I'd be in favor...even if that means LeBron dominates the lonely Timberwolves 6 times a year.

As the Wolves use their last pick and grab the phenom Hamady Ndiaye, I just wanted to share a few quick thoughts about how the night went.

First off, I don't mind Wesley Johnson at the 4th pick. We got duped in to thinking the Nets were honestly thinking about shopping their pick, which probably cost Kahn to back off a deal we could have made pre-draft for Beasley or something (just speculating). But once Favors went off the board, I think it was pretty obvious that Johnson was our guy. Then again, it is David Kahn and the Timberwolves...so we might wake up tomorrow and read that Johnson has been traded for something that makes no sense at all. What a GREAT transition!

I don't understand some of the trades. I get the cap room thing for NEXT summer, but Martell Webster? I actually think Webster can be a good player in this league, but was he worth giving up a 16th round pick AND Gomes? I don't like Gomes at all, and I get that it's a contract thing, but how does that improve our team for the next 3 years? I'm also just reading up on the proposed deal with Washington...I don't know if that makes sense either (mainly because I'm not a talent specialist on those guys). I kind of have this feeling of "did we just get outsmarted by a really smart GM...or did we just get out-dumbed by a really dumb GM that is trying too hard?"

Overall though...I do like a few of the guys we got. Are they going to pan out? Probably not. I don't think there is ANY way that Jefferson and Love are on this team when the season starts. Johnson should get plenty of chances to build his game before Rubio gets her next year (if he comes here). I think people forget that Rubio could quickly turn some of these players from good players to great really good players. I'm more excited about the next 3-5 years tonight than I was last year after the draft...that's for damn sure.

Then again...some ESPN guys are saying he's their pick for the 2011 NBA Rookie of the Year. So we really don't know...