Lebron James Speculation is Officially Underway

For the second consecutive season, the Cleveland Cavaliers have posted the best regular season record in the NBA.

Now, for the second consecutive season, the Cleveland Cavaliers were bounced from the NBA playoffs by a lower seed before reaching the NBA Finals, losing in the Eastern Conference finals to the Orlando Magic in 2009 and now being humiliated by the Boston Celtics in the second round of the 2010 playoffs.

In the end, it was another disappointment for Lebron James and company, a team that many had pegged to win the championship, but more importantly, it officially started the new season; the "Where Will Lebron Sign Speculation Season."

While players will not be allowed to file for free agency until the completion of the NBA Finals, that will do little to quell the debate over which uniform Lebron will be wearing when next season begins. That's not to say that other free agents like Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh, Amare Stoudamire, Paul Pierce, Dirk Nowitzki, and Joe Johnson won't make some team happy, most everyone is in agreement that James will dictate how the other cards fall. The 26-year-old is coming off of his second consecutive MVP award and is still well within his prime, making him the most dynamic player available on the market in some time.

So where will Lebron James land? For the sake of argument, we'll assume that James' days in Cleveland are now behind him. Let's take a look at the other leading contenders.

New York Knicks - Could James Be Destined For The Big Apple?

The Knicks finished 2009-2010 with a record of 29-53 and haven't tasted a winning season since 1999-2000, so the addition of James would be a huge move for a team that also hasn't had a marketable star since Patrick Ewing. What makes the Knicks likely is that they've been making all necessary preparations over the last several years to clear cap space for James, bordering their efforts on tampering in the process.

However, James may not choose to play in the media capital of the world simply because the team may not be competitive even with him on the roster. True, they have cleared enough cap room to make a run at another big name as well, but even so, that's only two pieces of a bigger puzzle for the Knicks.

Then again, Celtics fans seemed to think that New York was a given to the point of chanting New York Knicks during the elimination game.

Chicago Bulls - Time For Lebron To Be Like Mike?

The Bulls are an up and coming team that already has a strong supporting cast in place and the cap room to bring in Lebron. Could Chicago be the destination?

Think about it. James would be playing in the same house as his idol Jordan. He would take the court next to another dynamic player in Derek Rose, not to mention Luol Deng and Joakim Noah. James already fueled the speculation here by filing paperwork with the league to change his jersey number to six from twenty-three to honor Jordan. Could it have been more because he anticipated playing in the Windy City where he could never where Jordan's number?

Miami Heat - Can Heat Keep Wade And Add Lebron?

The Miami Heat already has the daunting task of having to retain Dwayne Wade. Could they really afford to make a run at James as well? If both players were to take below market deals, Miami could become a player on both fronts, pairing them up as one of the more exciting tandems in the league.

That said, one has to doubt that both Wade and Lebron could co-exist in the same line-up, with each demanding the ball and the spotlight. The question then becomes which player would Miami rather build their team around.

The New Jersey Nets - Big Money Coming To The Meadowlands?

New Jersey is an interesting option. They were absolutely abysmal last season, coming close to setting the record for the least number of wins in a season, so they have the same struggles as the Knicks do in convincing him that they are the optimal destination.

Still, New Jersey has new ownership that could be eager to field a winner by pumping money into the roster and who better to put the money into. Plus, the Nets also have the luxury of the first pick in the draft, which will likely be used on John Wall. Wall would be a great understudy and backcourt partner for James and the two could form a fantastic duo.

That said, adding both James and Wall at the same time might prevent New Jersey from addressing other needs as well, so the Nets may wish to spread their money around instead, especially if the bidding gets too high.

Sources:

NBA Standings 2008-2009, NBA.com

NBA Standings, 2009-2010, NBA.com

Free Agents: 2010 and 2011, ESPN.com

New York Knicks, Wikipedia.com

Lebron James May Change Jersey Number, HuffingtonPost.com