The LeBron-O-Meter: Help from a Maverick?

Could the 'Meter read 'Looking Good' for the second straight day? While the world waits, we can only come up with new reasons for hope. Today, we've got three.

Associated PressAs CEO of LRMR Marketing, Maverick Carter, center, has brokered many deals for LeBron James, but what will his influence be in the "big" decision?

No, we're not talking about John McCain or Dirk Nowitzki, but Maverick Carter, LeBron's business manager and buddy from St. Vincent St. Mary High School.

Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reports it was Carter who pushed out NBA power broker "Worldwide" William Wesley - agent for Chicago Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau and alleged source of 'LeBron to Bulls is a done deal' - from last week's meetings in Cleveland.

Wojnarowski writes,

The wresting back of power into James’ Akron-based camp goes a long way to securing the Cavs’ chances for re-signing James. This could preserve James’ future with the Cavaliers, because those surrounding him will eagerly validate his decision to take more money, stay home and keep them all relevant in his career and life.

While the Bulls were the favorites heading into this process, especially among national writers, there is growing sentiment the Cavaliers now have the edge.

Wojnarowski goes on to write,

Officials from teams who made these presentations went along with the charade, but some questioned the legitimacy of the process based on the kinds of questions that were thrown back to them. "It didn’t take long to realize you’re dealing with 25-year-old kids," one source said.

Which brings us to that 'Family Guy' cartoon the Cavaliers showed LeBron during their visit on Saturday. The New York Daily News writes this about it,

A source told The News that the animated movie lampooned everyone from Pat Riley to [Knicks owner James] Dolan and included plenty of locker room humor. It was written by screenwriters Bill Collage and Adam Cooper and directed by Brian Gilbert.

There is a scene where an owner named James Colan continues to reprimand a basketball general manager named Denny Welsh for speaking out of turn.

"Be quiet," Colan says repeatedly, "you're not authorized to speak."

Funny stuff to be sure - and more bad news for Knicks fans - both LeBron James and Maverick Carter were not at the second meeting between the Knicks and James' agent. That's like asking for a meeting with the President and getting Chris Matthews instead.

So, if we cross off the Knicks (and maybe the Bulls) and you're still not convinced LeBron is staying?

Consider then Brian Shaw, the Cavaliers-coach-to-be until he suddenly wasn't. Lost in the frenzied hiring of Byron Scott the day before the Cavs' presentation to LeBron, was an interview Shaw did with a Los Angeles radio station and transcribed by ESPN.com. Shaw told the Mason & Ireland Show on ESPN 710 in L.A.,

When I got a chance to ask questions, of course my first question was let’s talk about the possibility of [LeBron] not returning to the team and what things are going to look like then and what plans you have to fortify the team and make it better. It was an issue that they didn’t really want to think about or to talk about.

I kinda felt like maybe they know something that I don’t know.

All told, three things that make you go 'hmmmmm' equal another 'Looking Good' on the 'Meter today.

Like everyone else in Cleveland, we wonder what LeBron James will do when his contract is up this summer. Will he stay home, or team up with one of his buddies elsewhere? Until he decides to talk, we have to rely on hunches, instincts and educated guesswork. We'll report our findings, more or less daily, using the LeBron-O-Meter.