Is LeBron James really on the verge of going to the Miami Heat, or is this another misdirection floated by his marketing people to add to the drama they all are seemingly enjoying all too much?
Could Dwyane Wade and LeBron James soon be teammates on the Heat? Say it isn't so, LeBron.The LeBron-O-Meter is working overtime to sort out even more rumors, speculation and, perhaps, even more misdirection.
From ESPN's J.A. Adande's Twitter account:
Part of me thinks LeBron's camp is just floating this Miami thing to gauge the reaction. And what I've seen has not been positive.
On the "Mike & Mike" radio show this morning, EPSN's Chris Broussard said something similar and to not count out the Cavaliers just yet.
From Yahoo! Sports:
James’ camp, sources said, went so far as to propose scenarios where the Heat would trade forward Michael Beasley to create additional salary-cap space to sign a complementary player. In those conversations, the representatives spoke only of Miami as the destination for James.
From The New York Post:
One sign James could be staying in Cleveland is he told organizers not to postpone his annual Kids Bike-a-thon in Akron on Aug. 7, which draws 3,000 Northeast Ohio children.
From WKYC's Eric Mansfield and picked up by SB Nation Chicago:
Summit Co. processed request [Wednesday] to change address on tax bill for [LeBron James'] home from an LLC in Cleveland to a new address in Chicago.
However, on his show yesterday afternoon, WKNR radio host Michael Reghi said he talked to an NBA source and said Carlos Boozer's signing with the Bulls effectively eliminated Chicago from the race because of Boozer's defection from the Cavs following James' rookie season.
From Business Week:
Madison Square Garden Inc., owner of the venue where the New York Knicks play basketball, retreated in U.S. trading before LeBron James announces whether he will leave the Cleveland Cavaliers for the Knicks or another team.Madison Square Garden fell 4.6 percent to $20.58 at 8:41 a.m. in New York. The stock surged to $21.57 yesterday from $20.27 on July 6 amid speculation James, the National Basketball Association’s Move Valuable Player the past two seasons, may join the Knicks, boosting company earnings.
All that, plus the 6,500 stories you find when Googling "LeBron James to Miami", equals an "uh-oh" with a side of "oh noooooo!!!!!" on the LeBron-O-Meter.
Like everyone else in Cleveland, we wonder what LeBron James will do when his contract is up this summer. Will he stay home, or follow Wade and Bosh to Miami? Until he decides to talk tonight, we have to rely on hunches, instincts and educated guesswork. We'll report our findings, more or less daily, using the LeBron-O-Meter.