Looks like Bosh is joining Wade in Miami, so what now for Bulls?

Posted July 06, 2010 11:00 pm

Mike McGraw

Late Tuesday, word spread of LeBron James' plan to announce his free-agency decision during a one-hour special to air on ESPN Thursday night.

Perhaps not wanting to be upstaged, news leaked early Wednesday morning that Chris Bosh is committed to joining Dwyane Wade in Miami, whether he gets a sign-and-trade from Toronto or not.

This is obviously bad news for the Bulls, but not much of a surprise. Miami always seemed to be one of Bosh's main options and there appeared to be no chance Wade would leave Miami until he met twice with the Bulls last week.

This did seem to be a perfect scenario for Wade to come back to his home town and join a team that could quickly become an Eastern Conference power. The decision most likely came down to Wade's strong ties with the franchise and owner Micky Arison. He obviously agreed with the Heat's plan to clear cap room for 2010 and felt he couldn't back down now.

Assuming Wade and Bosh are out of the picture, what do the Bulls do now?

First off, they'll try to lock up Utah's Carlos Boozer as soon as possible with their $13-million salary slot.

Few people would argue that Boozer, 28, is a more talented player than Bosh, but Boozer does have a history of performing well in the playoffs. Bosh has barely even been to the playoffs during seven seasons in Toronto.

Boozer averaged 19.5 points and 11.2 rebounds, while shooting 56 percent from the field, last season. He's produced 20.3 points and 12.5 rebounds in 44 career playoff games.

It's too soon to count out James for the Bulls. He's working hard to keep his decision quiet and build suspense for his ESPN special, so let's look again at the possibilities:

Option 1: Stay in Cleveland for the long haul - Word is the biggest factor holding James back is his loyalty to the Akron/Cleveland area, where he's lived his entire life. He doesn't want to disappoint his hometown fans.

Then again, he doesn't want to sit at home next June and watch Kobe Bryant win title No. 6, then maybe No. 7 after that, while he's stuck on zero.

After three straight early exits from the playoffs, James has reason to be skeptical of the Cavaliers' promise that one more tweak of the supporting cast will put the team over the top. What do they do on the inside with Shaquille O'Neal unlikely to return and Zydrunas Ilgauskas fading fast?

The Cavs may never be able to pair James with the competent sidekick he likely needs to win a championship.

He should keep in mind it's not his fault Cleveland hasn't won a major professional sports championship in 46 years and there's not much going on downtown.

Option 2: Re-sign with the Cavaliers for three years: This way, he'd give Ohio an even 10 years of his services and could leave with less guilt.

This is a risky move because he doesn't know what kind of free-agent options he'd have in 2013. The opportunities to switch teams may never be better than what he faces this year. Plus, if he doesn't think the Cavs have a realistic chance to win a title with the current group, why stick around for three more years of disappointment?

Option 3: Join Wade and Bosh in Miami - Some people believe this could happen, but it's tough to see James joining a team that has been dominated by Wade. Plus, it would be nearly impossible for all three players to get maximum deals.

Option 4: Sign with New York or New Jersey - Both teams present strong options for James. The Knicks already signed ex-Phoenix forward Amare Stoudemire and would have money to chase a major free agent next year when Eddy Curry's contract comes off the books. Missing the playoffs eight of the last nine years doesn't speak well for the organization, though.

New Jersey has an intriguing new owner in Russian Mikhail Prokhorov, who vowed to help James expand his international presence. James' good friend Jay-Z is a part-owner. But the Nets will spend at least the next two seasons in Newark before the long-planned move to Brooklyn. There is also no ignoring the fact that New Jersey went 12-70 last season.

Option 5: Sign with the Bulls - When free-agency began last week, the Bulls seemed to have more to offer than any other team with cap room. They have a playoff-caliber team in place, led by all-star point guard Derrick Rose, plus enough cap room to sign two major free agents. That's in addition to being a major market and one of the most popular cities among NBA players.

There is still a chance James could choose the Bulls and play with Boozer. Those two were teammates in Cleveland during James' rookie season and remained good friends. It's a team that would appear to be a championship contender.

No one seemed to have a good handle on James' decision Wednesday morning. The idea of forming a super team in Miami was gaining steam, the Cavaliers were said to be caught by surprise by the television special and the Bulls remain an option.

If James goes somewhere else, the Bulls will try to sign Boozer or New York forward David Lee. Pairing one of those players with Atlanta's Joe Johnson figured to be an excellent back up plan, but Johnson left the market when the Hawks surprisingly offered a full maximum deal worth nearly $120 million over six years.

Now there is no obvious back up plan. Bulls fans should keep in mind that when the playoff series with Cleveland ended, there appeared to be no chance of landing James or Wade.

Signing a power forward and scrambling to fill the vacancy at shooting guard isn't the best-case scenario, but it could make the Bulls a better team next season.

Chris Bosh Associated Press file

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<h2>Stories</h2>

<li><a href="/story/?id=392504">Wade to Chicago fans: Bosh is the reason I chose Heat <span class="date">[7/7/10]</span></a></li>

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