Now that LeBron James has returned to Cleveland to make amends to Cavaliers fans, which players should we be watching now that the dominoes are getting ready to fall.
Carmelo Anthony
Should he trust the 11-time champion Phil Jackson to make the Knicks a championship contender in the next couple years, or does he go somewhere like Chicago, Los Angeles, or even Miami to teams where he could compete in the near term?
Kevin Love
The All Star rebounding juggernaut is wasting way on a team which isn’t likely to smell a championship in this decade, and there are talks of him getting traded to Cleveland to help add one of the final pieces on a Cavs team which is very likely to contend for a championship in the next year or two even without him.
Pau Gasol
The Bulls and Lakers are working on a Sign-And-Trade deal to send Gasol to Chicago, but if that breaks down, apparently the Spurs are interested in getting into the mix. Now that the Rockets didn’t land Bosh with the big deal they were offering him, Gasol could be an option there as well.
Trevor Ariza
The Wizards want his defensive prowess back, but a few other teams are talking about bringing him in. Kobe Bryant was publicly angry when Ariza left the Lakers a few years ago, and if the team can’t bring Carmelo to Los Angeles, and they lose Gasol, and the Kevin Love situation doesn’t go the Lakers direction, I’d be surprised if they didn’t bring Ariza back.
Eric Bledsoe
The 24-year-old guard might not be a name you’re familiar with, but with his talent, he’s sure to be a piece that many teams are eyeing to be a key piece to the future of their squad. Without a “max contract” deal likely to be owed to him this time around, Eric Bledsoe could easily fit into a lot of situations.
Dwyane Wade
Is there any doubt that he’s going back to the Miami Heat? They already gave Chris Bosh a huge deal to return, and it’s because of Wade that the Heat were able to bring LeBron and Bosh to create the roster which brought them two championships and four finals appearances. With questions of his durability, he’s less likely to get a huge contract anywhere else.
