If Lebron leaves his two best options are...

[jackson_34]

Have the clippers got cap space?

[Brendan]

Lebron and DWade are a bad fit together. He'd be great with Amare or Bosh. That's doable in CLE, NYK, maybe elsewhere.

[jdub1660]

I still look at Portland as a sleeper for LeBron. They should have enough money next year to offer LeBron a contract. And they are a team, when and if healthy, are better suited to make a run WITH LeBron than Cleveland. They have an awesome PG that can score and dish in Miller. They have a scorer in Roy, then a post game guy in Aldridge and post presence role players in Oden and Pryzbilla. Add in the fact they have a bench of Camby, Webster and Fernandez, throw in LBJ, and you got a championship team. I really want LeBron to go West to fight with Kobe.

[Brendan]

I still look at Portland as a sleeper for LeBron. They should have enough money next year to offer LeBron a contract. And they are a team, when and if healthy, are better suited to make a run WITH LeBron than Cleveland. They have an awesome PG that can score and dish in Miller. They have a scorer in Roy, then a post game guy in Aldridge and post presence role players in Oden and Pryzbilla. Add in the fact they have a bench of Camby, Webster and Fernandez, throw in LBJ, and you got a championship team. I really want LeBron to go West to fight with Kobe.

Highlander there can be only one: Roy or Lebron. Ball dominators both.

[Fafnir]

Durant eventually moves to power forward as he bulks up.  Similar path of KG in that regard.  So I don't see a problem with Durant and LEbron manning the forward positions at all.

But won't LeBron have the same path as well?

I think they'd work fine as your two Forwards. So much talent that they'd make it work. I just don't see LeBron going to OKC.

[Fafnir]

I still look at Portland as a sleeper for LeBron. They should have enough money next year to offer LeBron a contract. And they are a team, when and if healthy, are better suited to make a run WITH LeBron than Cleveland. They have an awesome PG that can score and dish in Miller. They have a scorer in Roy, then a post game guy in Aldridge and post presence role players in Oden and Pryzbilla. Add in the fact they have a bench of Camby, Webster and Fernandez, throw in LBJ, and you got a championship team. I really want LeBron to go West to fight with Kobe.

Highlander there can be only one: Roy or Lebron. Ball dominators both.

I don't think that's entirely fair to LeBron or Roy, they're de-facto point guards in their respective offenses.

[Who]

I still look at Portland as a sleeper for LeBron. They should have enough money next year to offer LeBron a contract. And they are a team, when and if healthy, are better suited to make a run WITH LeBron than Cleveland. They have an awesome PG that can score and dish in Miller. They have a scorer in Roy, then a post game guy in Aldridge and post presence role players in Oden and Pryzbilla. Add in the fact they have a bench of Camby, Webster and Fernandez, throw in LBJ, and you got a championship team. I really want LeBron to go West to fight with Kobe.

Highlander there can be only one: Roy or Lebron. Ball dominators both.

I don't think that's entirely fair to LeBron or Roy, they're de-facto point guards in their respective offenses.

No need for a point guard with those two on the roster ... start LeBron at the point and Roy at the two and Batum at three. That perimeter defense + rebounding contributions combined with Portland's interior defense + rebounding ... wow!

[slamtheking]

if anywhere is a possibility, other than Miami if it retains Wade, is NJ. 

They may not compete year 1 of the "Bron"ze Age (Hmm, I may have to copyright that phrase) which I think is a prime concern of his but consider this:

Lopez is a stud center that would be a force on a team where he's not the #1 player.  NJ has a top draft pick coming their way--a definite difference maker in their first year.   NJ has cap room to get another top FA.  Maybe not Bosh or Wade but JJ or Boozer are definitely possible.  Harris and Lee are good players that add depth if they don't start. 

That would be enough to get Bron by itself but here's the big enticement: NJ is moving to Brooklyn.  Bron has the opportunity that few players get and that is to become the biggest star on a new team with a fanbase that is dying for someone to worship and spend lots of $ on their merchandise.  (Durant just got the opportunity in OKC but he's not an established star and OKC is about as smalltime as it gets for a city with a pro sport.)  Think of the $ Bron would pull in as the face of the new franchise in Brooklyn NY--a part of the city that's been dying for a team since the Dodgers left town.  The fact he's on a team that's an immediate playoff team, in the weaker conference, in the weakest division of that conference, with the best team in that division on the decline--->everything points to him picking NJ as his next destination. 

[Brendan]

Yeah NJ wouldn't be a total bust, but their current team president is a stern-bot and their coach is minimums.

[Cman]

It would be pretty amazing for LBJ to go to the Thunder.  I would love that.  I just don't see the Clippers.  Sterling is such a cheapskate that team would do nothing (except sell LBJ jerseys).

I think LBJ's best bet is to stay in Cleveland, but if he leaves, I think the Knicks, Nets and Chicago are all equally likely (the Nets are moving to Brooklyn, which raises the appeal IMHO).

[Fan from VT]

pretty sure its impossible for portland unless they make a trade. no cap space.

[MMacOH]

The Cavs would never actually trade Lebron

[Moranis]

I still look at Portland as a sleeper for LeBron. They should have enough money next year to offer LeBron a contract. And they are a team, when and if healthy, are better suited to make a run WITH LeBron than Cleveland. They have an awesome PG that can score and dish in Miller. They have a scorer in Roy, then a post game guy in Aldridge and post presence role players in Oden and Pryzbilla. Add in the fact they have a bench of Camby, Webster and Fernandez, throw in LBJ, and you got a championship team. I really want LeBron to go West to fight with Kobe.

Portland not only doesn't have cap space, but also is in fact over the cap next year, but they would be a great trading partner as they could throw in Oden, Webster, and a few other nice young pieces (to the Cavs) and still pair Lebron with Roy and Aldridge.  

[Bahku]

Siberia and Antarctica.

[Fan from VT]

I think the best destination far and away is Chicago. They need to try as hard as they can to dump either Hinrich or Deng for a non-guaranteed deal or to a team with capspace. Throw in this year's pick if you need to, but make a team that won't be a big FA player take that contract. Maybe Deng and this year's #1 for Dampier, if Dallas can't get anything else?

Getting rid of Deng would drop their payroll to 23.5 million. if the cap's around 56, that's really close to max deal for 2 free agents, so they could legitimately field:

Rose
Hinrich
James
Bosh or Amare
Noah.