if lebron likes attention from the media, and he seems to, he would receive unprecedented exposure in NY.

for people arguing the money angle - they have a few marketing gurus in there saying lebron would make an extra $20M a year in endorsements/opportunities in NY.

Big sell on Bosh also... hey, if Bosh helped bring LBJ here even I would like him

The following four teams have been furiously clearing the salary-cap space to offer you a max deal, or at least come close. They will be whispering sweet nothings in your ear, but, trust us, you don’t want to wake up next to them. We checked in with Kevin Pelton at Basketball Prospectus, who has been studying your situation for months, for his analysis:

The Team: New Jersey Nets

Cap Space: $28 million

The Pitch: Moving to Brooklyn with new billionaire Russian owner Mikhail Prokhorov.

PELTON SAYS
Pros: A young stud in the middle in Brook Lopez, a certain top-four pick in the draft this June, a former All-Star in Devin Harris, and young players who can contribute cheaply, especially if the team lands either John Wall or Evan Turner in the draft.

Cons: Coming off one of the worst records of all time. Some of the pieces, especially Harris, won’t fit well with James.

Lopez, Harris & either Wall or Turner are not good fits for Lebron to play with but Gallo, Chandler & TD somehow are?... i don't get that type of reasoning... Nets will be moving to Brooklyn in a couple years & Jay-Z has an interest in that team, as do the NY Yankees who are Lebron's favorite baseball team... the author used both Jay-Z & the NY Yankees to weigh in on why Lebron should come to the Knicks, but when it comes to the Nets they don't come into play... strange... i don't see them landing Lebron but the reasoning this guy is using to defend the position is weak.

The Team: Miami Heat

Cap Space: $24.9 million

The Pitch: No state income tax; sunshine and beachfront.

PELTON SAYS
Pros: James and Dwyane Wade would be an impossible duo to defend, and the Heat have some solid other pieces, like Michael Beasley.

Con: James would be ceding a lot of the spotlight to Wade, already an established star in South Beach.

if Lebron's main goal is winning & being able to play alongside another superstar like stated earlier in this article, then Miami easily makes the most sense... & nightlife? if the author thinks NY has lots to offer Lebron in chicks & clubs, he hasn't been to South Beach.

The Team: Chicago Bulls

Cap Space: $20.5 million

The Pitch: The players to win right now.

PELTON SAYS
Pros: In Derrick Rose, the Bulls have a terrific building block, and youngsters Joakim Noah and Taj Gibson are solid pieces up front.

Cons: Chicago is a good market, but it’s still not New York or L.A. Rose and James are not an ideal partnership because both are most comfortable with the ball in their hands. Would be stepping into the shadow of Michael Jordan.

a Rose & Lebron partnership is not much different than a Wade & Lebron partnership, only Lebron would be the clearcut franchise guy on that team & would take over the spotlight all on his own... stepping into the shadow of his idol Michael Jordan doesn't seem like it would phase Lebron, the guy who just switched his jersey # to pay homage to the man, but i suppose that could be interpreted to mean he wants to stand on his own merit, so i will buy into that argument somewhat... i think Chicago lands Chris Bosh if anything.

The Team: Los Angeles Clippers

Cap Space: $18.3 million

The Pitch: A strong young core in a big market.

PELTON SAYS
Pros: Better returning players than any competing team, with a glaring hole at small forward.

Cons: Those players all want the ball in their hands. These are the Clippers, the city’s second fiddle. And owner Donald Sterling has a poor reputation among NBA players. (Former G.M. Elgin Baylor once claimed Sterling tried to run the team with a “southern-plantation-type structure.”)

i guess James Dolan has a great reputation among NBA players? the Clippers being the city's second fiddle is a valid argument (this should have really been the argument for the Nets as well)... still, u have to believe the instant Lebron signed with them they'd be fighting for #1 status for primetime billing at Staples... u think Nike doesn't have a few future puppet ads for that type of scenario? i don't think the Clips have a chance of signing Lebron either, but using the owner as the justification for it is weak when our owner is pretty inept.

i think it's CLE or NY for Lebron, no other choices are really going to factor in for him, but some of these arguments are unfounded & contradictory... this entire piece sounds like someone from the UK forums wrote it.

AnubisADL wrote:These articles are funny because people keep forgetting the Nets will be in Brooklyn in 2-3 yrs and they already have some nice pieces and cap space.

No big name free agent is going to waste 2-3 years of his career playing in an empty areana.

TMS wrote:

iSergio wrote:

AnubisADL wrote:These articles are funny because people keep forgetting the Nets will be in Brooklyn in 2-3 yrs and they already have some nice pieces and cap space.

No big name free agent is going to waste 2-3 years of his career playing in an empty areana.

that arena would be sold out every night if Lebron was there, let's be real about it... can't use that as an argument.

By who? That arena was empty even when New Jersey was in the Finals. That place is a total dump. Not even LeBron James can get fans to go to that hole.

TMS wrote:

nyk4ever wrote:TMS, I got some hope so don't go islesfan on my thread

i'm not trying to go islesfan on your thread, but the article is biased dude.

Of course it's biased! It's New York magazine! Are we supposed to also give Cleveland and Jersey kudos when LeBron James comes to visit in July? Geez.