Teams ready to convince NBA's best to sign with them

Finally, the real game begins.

After months of hyped anticipation and days of crazy speculation, the NBA's free-agent negotiating period began at 11:01 p.m. Central time Wednesday night. Teams can begin signing players on July 8.

Plenty of high-profile players are available and the Bulls expect to have around $29 million to spend. The biggest focus, though, will be on Cleveland megastar LeBron James, far and away their No. 1 target.

The Bulls are trying to keep their actions under wraps. There was evidence the management team of Gar Forman, John Paxson and new coach Tom Thibodeau traveled somewhere Wednesday, and their most likely destination was Akron, Ohio, to demonstrate how serious they are about adding the two-time MVP.

James has invited six teams to make recruiting pitches on his home turf. New Jersey and New York will reportedly be the first two to sit down, followed by Miami, the Clippers, Cleveland and the Bulls, who might return in a few days.

New York and Miami are intriguing options for James, but his choice will most likely come down to the Bulls and Cleveland.

It would be tough for him to skip out on his hometown and leave many fans heartbroken. At the same time, James doesn't want to keep sitting at home watching Kobe Bryant win more NBA titles. The championship scoreboard between the league's two biggest stars is already a lopsided 5-0 in favor of Bryant.

Does James have a reasonable chance to win a championship if he stays in Cleveland? The Cavs produced the league's best record the past two seasons, only to suffer early knockouts in the playoffs. They have an aging roster and haven't been able to provide James with a star-caliber sidekick.

The Bulls believe they already have a perfect partner ready for James in point guard Derrick Rose. Shortly after the Cavs lost to Boston in the second round of the playoffs, James called Rose to express his interest in joining forces.

The Bulls also have a decent lineup in place, with center Joakim Noah, along with forwards Taj Gibson and Luol Deng. They might have an additional all-star in the fold if they can successfully recruit one of their other free-agent targets.

Chris Bosh: Plenty of buzz circulated the past few days about the Toronto power forward being ticketed for Miami. That's certainly a nice option and it wouldn't be a shock if he chooses the Heat.

A rumor Wednesday about a sign-and-trade deal between the Heat and Raptors appeared to be premature. The Toronto Star suggested the Raptors have no interest in taking back No. 2 overall draft pick Michael Beasley in such a deal, but maybe they're trying to hold out for a better offer.

Bosh downplayed the idea of joining both Dwyane Wade and James in Miami, although his interview with the Miami Herald took place before the rumors heated up in the past few days.

"I don't even know how it would work. It sounds pie in the sky," Bosh said. "I don't see it happening."

The Bulls are definitely interested in Bosh and are hoping to secure a quick meeting. The New York Daily News reported Bosh and Wade will meet with interested teams in Chicago. Both are represented by Chicago-based agent Henry Thomas. Bosh has said he does not want to play center on his new team and he wouldn't have to on the Bulls.

Carlos Boozer: If LeBron James does sign with the Bulls, they won't have enough cap room to sign a second maximum-salary player without pulling off a trade.

So it's possible Utah's Boozer, who would almost certainly sign for less than the maximum, could be a more feasible option than Bosh, who is expecting the max.

Don't forget, Boozer and James spent the 2003-04 season together in Cleveland. That was before the Cavs let Boozer out of his contract and he rewarded their faith by signing with Utah. The Cavaliers' general manager back then was Jim Paxson, older brother of John and now a Bulls consultant, but that history won't prevent the Bulls from going after Boozer.

One plus with Boozer is he's averaged 20.3 points and 12.5 rebounds in 44 career playoff games. Bosh has produced 20.5 points and 9.0 rebounds, with a worse field-goal percentage, in just 11 postseason contests.

Joe Johnson: The talk Wednesday had Atlanta willing to offer a full six-year deal to convince the all-star shooting guard to stay with the Hawks. He's got plenty of options, though. New York reportedly planned to visit Johnson in Los Angeles late Wednesday night.

The Bulls felt they had a decent chance of signing Johnson, but it would be tough to compete if he gets something close to the maximum offer from Atlanta. A full-fledged max deal would mean a yearly salary beyond $20 million at the end of the contract, which is a steep price for a player that is clearly not one of the league's elite superstars.

If the Bulls don't get James, though, they still might try to pair Johnson with Bosh or Boozer.

Dwyane Wade: There was a report that Wade planned to meet with the Bulls at the United Center on Thursday, which sounds like more of a publicity stunt. A few weeks ago, Wade ripped his hometown team for being disloyal to its former players and is probably trying to smooth things over.

Wade has made no secret of his desire to stay with Miami. He repeated that wish in an interview with the Miami Herald that was published Tuesday.

"I haven't made a final decision yet. ... A lot can go down between now and (July 8)," Wade said. "Of course, I want to be in Miami. But everything has to happen the right way."

Amare Stoudemire: When the high-scoring power forward went on the auction block during the 2008-09 season, Phoenix was interested in a trade with the Bulls involving Tyrus Thomas, but the teams were never close to completing a deal.

The Bulls have been wary of Stoudemire's injury history - he's had microfracture knee surgery - along with his practice habits and strengths as a teammate. They might talk to him, but are more interested in Bosh and Boozer.

David Lee: The Knicks forward could end up as a nice consolation prize for some team. He averaged 20.2 points, 11.7 rebounds and shot 54.5 percent from the field last season. There have been questions about his defensive abilities.

He's a former Florida teammate of Joakim Noah and grew up in St. Louis, so the Bulls could make sense.