It certainly comes as no surprise to anyone in the basketball world that the LeBron James free agent show would take precedence over other superstar signings in the league. James took a prime-time stage while everyone else was lucky to catch a shout-out on Mike and Mike.

Durant quietly resigned with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Amar’e jumped to New York with half a cycle of coverage. Dirk resigned to crickets. Bosh went to Miami—pre James’ signing—with a few lights flickering. And Carlos Boozer, former Utah star forward, joined the Bulls with no one outside of Chicago blowing a horn.

Lost in all the hubbub over the LeBron-Wade-Bosh machine in Miami is the branch on the power tree of the East the Bulls hurdled over by picking up a legitimate front-court presence. Already tops in the league with rebounds, Chicago got a solid 11+ rebounder, a low-post offensive threat, and a yang to Joakim’s ying who, unlike the still learning Florida star, can score consistently.

Chicago fans might be a little blue over LeBron choosing to go south—probably to skirt more Jordan comparisons—but the Bulls are looking awfully competitive in an Eastern Conference that sees a playoff team eliminated already in Cleveland, not to mention a one-year-older Celtics squad and an Orlando team still stuck with Vince Carter.

The chances of bringing this together are solid for Chicago faithful. Of course, all the online casinos for USA players and sports books would give far better odds if James joined – 11:1, in fact. But the Bulls could easily be the next-up contenders behind Miami next season. And anything can happen in the playoffs…

But no gambling man would rule the Bulls out completely. After all, Miami’s mega-star conglomerate has been tried in places like the NFL to no avail. And with Rose, Noah, Gibson and other talented players in place, Boozer joins a complete team with chemistry and simply adds to it without bringing a ball-hoggish, need-to-score approach.

You might find better odds on a slot bonus game, but the Bulls, no longer babies, are looking stronger this year than any year MJ wasn’t suiting up.

Time will tell, obviously, how everything melds. But the next time you’re floating around looking for an online casino bonus, check out the sports book link and, if you can grab some good odds on a Miami vs. Chicago Eastern Conference Finals, take it.

Saying James choosing not to come to Chicago is really a blessing in disguise would be a lie. But the Bulls have competitive fire, a score to settle, and now a legitimate piece of the puzzle to push them over the hump.

So, 2010 is finally here.  For most people, its just another year, but for NBA fans its been a longtime coming.  This summer the most heralded class of free agents since 2000 (which featured Tim Duncan, Grant Hill, and Tracy McGrady) will be coming onto the market.  A lot of teams have been jockeying for position to land a big name by clearing as much cap space as possible.  Now that the deadline has come and gone, its time to really take a look at which teams are in a position to make a max offer to one of the big free agents, and which free agents are likely to go where.  A max contract can range from $17-$22 million dollars a season.  In order to bring everyone up to speed, here is a list of the teams that have the space, followed by a list of the notable free agents and where they may end up.

This exercise was not simple.  The first issue is determining what the salary cap will be.  Rumors have it ranging from $49 million all the way to $58 million.  For this post, we will be assuming it is $53 million.  Also, there are many player options, team options, conditional contracts, draft picks and other variables that must be considered.  The initial salary number next to each team is based on an educated guess about what teams will do with options and draft picks.  The last thing to keep in mind is that any of these players may re-sign with the team they are currently on and go over the cap due to the Larry Bird Exception.  That puts Toronto in the running for Bosh, Cleveland for James, Phoenix for Stoudemire, and so on.  I used HoopsHype for all the salary information, but be careful if you click that link, its extremely addictive.  Anyways, here we go.

TEAMS WITH ENOUGH SPACE TO SIGN AT LEAST ONE MAX CONTRACT

MIAMI HEAT
2010-2011 Salary: $7.13 Million
Estimated Cap Space: $45.87 Million

The Miami Heat literally only have 2 players on the books for next season, Beasley and Daequan Cook.  Presumably they will pick up Chalmers $847,000 option, bringing them up to about $8 million.  Wade has a $17.15 million option, but that will be a non-issue since the Heat would have to cough up more than that to match the max offers he is likely to get.  If you allow for the Heat to fill out their roster with scrubs that will still leave them about $40 million in space under the cap, enough to comfortably offer Wade and another big name max contracts.

NEW YORK KNICKS
2010-2011 Salary: $18.64 Million
Estimated Cap Space:$34.36 Million

Ahhh the Knicks.  Somehow they managed to swing a miracle before the deadline and land McGrady’s gigantic expiring contract.  Hilariously enough, the only really bad contract they have left from the Isiah era is Eddy Curry’s $11 million.  With Gallinari, Curry, Wilson Chandler, and Toney Douglas, the Knicks don’t exactly have the pieces to help a star win a championship.  On the other hand, with the money they have available, they may be able to sign two max contracts.  It would push them over the cap a bit, but they haven’t been shy about doing that before.  It’s also New York and the Garden and the lights and the media, so that could be a huge draw for guys like LeBron.

NEW JERSEY NETS
2010-2011 Salary: $31 Million
Estimated Cap Space: $22 Million

Okay, I made up that $31 million number.  The truth is that its more like $26 million, but everyone knows that the Nets will probably have a top 3 draft pick, putting them on the hook for another 4.5-5 million.  The question is: Does anyone want to play for the Nets?  At first glance the answer is no, seeing as how they are just awful this season.  But if you look a little closer the fact is that they have two very good young players in Devin Harris and Brook Lopez.  There are really only 7 teams with space for max contracts (9 spots if you think the Knicks and Heat each get two, though that is unlikely).  There is a possibility that one of the guys that doesn’t go to New York, Chicago or Miami may want to get rich playing in New Jersey.

CHICAGO BULLS
2010-2011 Salary: $31.86 Million
Estimated Cap Space: $21.14 Million

The Bulls have the best core out of all the teams with legitimate space to sign a max contract.  Rose, Hinrich, Deng, Gibson and Noah.  That’s one all-star/rising superstar in Rose, two borderline all-stars in Noah and Deng, and two very good role players in Kirk and Taj.  Even after draft picks (the Bulls own and the one they may be getting from Charlotte), they still have about $20 million to spend.  Chicago, Miami, and New York are the frontrunners for a big name free agent, but Chicago has by far the best young core to place around him.

WASHINGTON WIZARDS
2010-2011 Salary: $34 Million
Estimated Cap Space: $19 Million

You have to assume two things here, though anything can change.  First, that the Wiz will decline Josh Howard’s $11 million team option, and second, that they will pick up Randy Foye’s $4.75 Million option.  So the Wizards have enough space to just barely offer a max contract.  The same thing I said about the Nets applies here, the only difference is that the Wizards don’t have any talent.  At all.  Like the Nets someone might want to come to the Wizards and get rich toiling for a terrible team, but it definitely won’t be LeBron or Wade.

THE REST (Teams that are cutting it close in cap space)

Sacramento Kings
2010-2011 Salary: $34 Million
Estimated Cap Space: $19 Million

L.A. Clippers
2010-2011 Salary: $35 Million
Estimated Cap Space: $18 Million

Minnesota Timberwolves
2010-2011 Salary: $35.17 Million
Estimated Cap Space: $17.83 Million

THE FREE AGENTS AND THEIR LIKELY DESTINATIONS

LeBron James: Will he stay in Cleveland?  If he can win with Antawn Jamison right now, it seems plausible that he will stay.  On the other hand you never know.  The allure of New York may draw him, especially if he can bring his buddy D-Wade with him.  That possibility exists now that the Knicks cleared the space.  The only other real contender for James is Chicago purely because of the talent they can put around him, although their chances are slim at best.

Dwyane Wade: Miami can keep Wade and sign another big name, if another big name will come there.  James and Wade in Miami?  It could happen.  The main other target for Wade is Chicago.  It’s his hometown and he has always liked Rose (rumor has it he lobbied Riley to try to trade up to get Rose in the 2008 draft).  While the Heat do have a ton of cap space, they also have no talent to put around him.  The only way they keep Wade is if they get another big free agent to play alongside him.  Otherwise, he’ll be in Chicago or New York by the end of the summer.

Chris Bosh: Don’t tell Raptors fans, but its possible Bosh could leave Canada.  It appears he does like the city, but they are in no position to really shake the team up at all.  Is he content to toil away in obscurity for a .500 team and hope the youth improves around him?  Maybe, but he might also be looking to sell some jerseys and win some championships.  Chicago, New York, and Miami are all options, although he may consider going to one of the other teams with space, since he has expressed his interest in being “The Man”, which wouldn’t go well with him on a team with James or Wade.

Kobe Bryant: Los Angeles.  Not only are they the best team in the league, but he would probably have to take a pay cut if he exercised his early termination clause.

Dirk Nowitzki: Dallas.  There is no reason to think he would leave.  He loves Dallas and they love him.  He will definitely exercise his player option unless something crazy happens.

Joe Johnson: Everyone is talking about how this guy will be leaving, but my question is why?  He is on a great young team in Atlanta that is getting better every year.  He is the alpha dog on that team, and he is living and playing in a great city.  On the other hand, the allure of Chicago or New York or playing with James, Wade, or Bosh may draw him out.  Although James/Wade/Bosh are the most talked about names, don’t let JJ slip under your radar.  He is a very versatile big guard that can do it all.

Carlos Boozer: Who knows where he will go.  He seems like the kind of guy that would take max money to go waste away in Washington or New Jersey, doesn’t he?  After he screwed Cleveland a few years back, its hard to think that he cares about anything beyond the money.  That being said, he may be the “other” guy that Miami or New York is looking for after signing Wade or James.

Amare Stoudemire: I can tell you where he probably won’t be: Phoenix.  They have spurned him so many times its ridiculous.  Steve Kerr clearly doesn’t want him.  Could he go to Chicago?  Maybe.  New York? Miami? Maybe.  There’s no way to tell how it will shake down, but if teams can get past his defensive liabilities, he will be a high-profile target.

Paul Pierce: Boston.  He won’t leave.  Now that he has a ring there, Rondo is an all-star, and Garnett is signed through 2050 (just kidding, 2012), he’ll stick it out with this crew and try to win another ring.

OTHER NON-MAX CONTRACT NOTABLE FREE AGENTS:

Marcus Camby, Manu Ginobili, Ray Allen, Brendan Haywood, Kenyon Martin, Tyson Chandler.

• Ok so Utah matched Millsap’s offer sheet which puts them at $81 million in salary.  That is pretty much the death knell for Boozer’s tenure in Utah.  The Boozer-Hinrich-Thomas rumor lives on. [By The Horns]
• Some suspended tennis player had his drug suspension lifted after convincing a panel that the cocaine was in his system from kissing a girl who had coke on her lips.  [Tony Blogs]
• By now everyone has heard about the Cubs signing of B.J. Ryan.  According to one blogger, it was the perfect move by the North Siders. [The Friendly Blogfines]
• I’m not much of a White Sox fan, and I cannot stand Cubs or Sox fans that hate the other team for no real reason, but this picture of some Sox fans mocking Cubs fans is just hilarious. [Zoner]
• Barack Obama loves “Cominskey Field”.  Oops. [Home Run Derby]
• A gatorade bottle art tribute to Michael Jordan.  If you haven’t seen it take a look, it’s pretty cool. [Ball Don't Lie]
• The Cubs have dumped some players in recent years, but how have the players worked out for their new teams?  To be honest I just love the picture in this post. [Bleacher Nation]
• Shaq does a Michael Jackson Beat It tribute.  Yeah its a video and you can watch it. [NESW Sports]
• So now that Ben Gordon is gone, who will shoot the three?  The options are a bit bleak. [Pippen Ain't Easy]
• LeBron James isn’t going anywhere, and here’s why.  Sidenote: Personally I think he’s leaving. [Paneech]

Carlos Boozer was interviewed on ESPN Radio in Chicago yesterday, and it appears that rumor sending him to the Windy City may not be dead after all.  The entire interview is interesting so I recommend giving it a listen, but here are some of the highlights from a written transcription:

Do you think you will be traded?

“Yeah I do.  I had a talk with the Jazz.  The Jazz told me they want to go in a different direction and I respect their decision.  We mutually agreed to work out a trade that was beneficial for them and beneficial for my family and me.  So with that being said, I’m gonna be traded relatively soon or in good time.”

Will you be traded to the Chicago Bulls?

“I definitely heard a little rumbling about it.  Whether it will go down or not, it’s kind of between the Jazz and Chicago, but obviously if I did get traded to Chicago, I’d love to be a part of the Bulls.”

Could you influence Dwyane Wade to come to Chicago?

“Well, me and D-Wade are very close.  We talk quite a bit but that’s a decision he has to make with himself and obviously if I did come to the Bulls, and get a D-Wade on our team, I’d love to have D-Wade play for us.  At the same time, D-Wade is like me and wants to win a championship bad.  If I was able to go to the Bulls and get D-Wade to come, we’d be right there at the top of the list.”

If that last question doesn’t give you a huge Bulls boner, I don’t know what will (besides an ACTUAL championship of course).

• In honor of the return of StevieY19 this week (hopefully by Friday), here’s a little Detroit Lions link.  This is what the players would tweet on the sidelines if they could.  Funny and sad at the same time. [Detroit4Lyfe]
• Professional memoribilia-hawks had Granderson’s number right when he got off the plane in St. Louis. [The Grandstand]
• Bulls re-sign Lindsey Hunter.  If he’s just going to be a coach, why use a roster spot on him? [Blogabull]
• Remember those Pedro Martinez to the Cubs rumors?  Looks like the Mets are going to sign him.  We really don’t need another starter at this point anyways. [TonyBlogs]
• Whoa, the Blackhawks fired Dale Tallon?  You think it had something to do with the qualifying offer mess in which he cost the team more than $10 million? [Sun-Times]
• Looks like the Cubs will be filing for bankruptcy.  Someone explain to me how this affects the sale, because I am no economist.  [Bloomberg]
• This is not a pleasant moment for former Major Leaguer Matt Bush.  Yikes. [Zoner]
• If Mega Man II villains were sports stars, here’s who they would be.  This is worth a read, very funny. [Deadspin]
• If/when the Cubs sign BJ Ryan, Marshall will probably move back into the rotation, but who’s spot will he take? [Bleacher Nation]
• Prince Fielder won the most boring, shittiest home run derby of all time.  Is it possible that ESPN has finally succeeded in ruining the derby? [ESPN]
• Obama in the booth with Joe Buck at the All-Star game tonight?  That could be a disaster. [Bootlegger Sports]
• Boozer-to-Bulls rumor is cooling down.  I usually find that once a trade rumor becomes public, that usually means its dying. [By The Horns]
• As usual, some really bad contracts are being passed out in the NBA this summer.  And I’m not talking about questionably big deals to guys like Ben Gordon, I’m talking about $34 million to Marcin Gortat.  Who? [Sharapova's Thigh]

I know I said that the Bulls were pursuing some options and that for the most part I didn’t like any of them.  Although I said Boozer would be the best of the available options, I still tried to argue he probably wouldn’t be a good fit for the team.  Upon hearing the latest rumor, however, I’m changing my tune:

Sources stressed to ESPN.com that no deal was imminent Thursday and that both Portland and Utah are still evaluating multiple trade scenarios. But two sources with knowledge of the three-team proposal confirmed that there have been substantive talks regarding a trade that would land Boozer in Chicago, Hinrich in Portland and Tyrus Thomas in Utah.

I’m still a bit skeptical about Boozer fitting next to Rose in the upbeat offense the Bulls are trying to run, but if Hinrich’s contract can be moved this would be amazing.  The Bulls would then have around $40 million in cap space next summer, since Boozer’s contract expires then and Hinrich’s wouldn’t have expired until 2011.  2009 would then basically be a test year for Boozer, and if he works out they can try to re-sign him (for more than he could get anywhere else under the current collective bargaining agreement).  They would also then have more than enough leftover for another one of the big free agents from the 2010 class, which includes Bosh, Wade, James, and Stoudemire.  Or if Boozer doesn’t work out, the Bulls can say bye-bye and use all that money to pursue not just one, but possibly two of the big-name free agents.  Although seeing Tyrus leave would be regrettable, since I am one of the believers that he could still mature into a great player, it would be well worth it to replace him with Boozer and then have the flexibility this move would allow.  Hopefully Gar Paxdorf can pull it off.

With the departure of Ben Gordon, the Bulls are trying to appease frustrated fans who feel that the Bulls let Gordon walk for nothing without any backup plan in place.  Even fans who hate Gordon (and there’s a lot of you), Gordon leaving obviously hurts the team without anyone to really replace him.  In general, most people feel like the 2009-2010 season is kind of a wash and it doesn’t matter what happens in 2009.  The most important thing is not to lock the team into any huge long-term deals that would handicap their ability to pursue the big 2010 free agents.  It would be nice, however, to get some help in the backcourt for Rose in the interim, and possibly try to solve the neverending problem of getting a legitimate post scorer.

Unfortunately, the Bulls seem to be a little lost on what they are doing.  If Gar Paxdorf just did nothing and waited for 2010, that would be better than some of these rumors we are hearing.  Let’s look at the three main ones and discuss exactly why they are retarded:

Allen Iverson: Supposedly, with Gordon about to sign on to the Pistons, the Bulls are looking at possibly sign and trading for AI.  Don’t get me wrong, I love AI.  No one plays with more heart, every single game.  The problem with AI is that he needs to have the ball in his hands, and he needs to be the focal point of an offense.  Although he will probably be looking for a multi-year deal, it won’t be too expensive, but that’s not the problem.  The problem is our one most important goal this upcoming season is the development and growth of Derrick Rose.  How will bringing in essentially a ballhog help the Bulls towards that goal?  It won’t.

Jannero Pargo: Seriously?  I mean Rose needs some backcourt help, but Ben Gordon lite?  He is like the really really poor man’s Gordon.  Why not bring in a young cheap guy that has something to prove, instead of a 30 year old defensive liability?  We already had this guy and I remember calling him a garbage-time all-star.  Just because he had one mediocre season in New Orleans two years ago doesn’t mean that nickname doesn’t still apply.

Carlos Boozer: Most of you are probably saying, “I understand why you don’t want the other guys, but come on, Boozer is a legit post presence that we’ve been looking for since, well, since forever”.  While this is the best rumor that I’ve heard out there, there are a number of problems with it.  First off, the character issues are rampant with Boozer.  It’s tough to forget how badly he screwed the Cleveland organization a few summers ago, when they let him out of his deal (which they didn’t have to do) to resign him to a bigger deal and essentially give him a raise, but instead he took the “opportunity” to sign a huge deal with the Jazz.  Loyalty means nothing to a guy like this.  What about talent, you say?  No one will argue that Boozer can score and rebound, but the guy is a terrible defender.  Not only that, but more importantly, anyone we bring in must be compatible with Rose.  Can Boozer run with Rose?  I don’t think so, he is lazy getting back on transition defense and getting out in transition offense.  This is the best option obviously, but it just doesn’t seem like he would be a good pair with Rose.  The one main thing that really makes this guy attractive is that his deal expires at the end of the season, so it could be a one-and-done deal, if the Bulls weren’t inclined to offer him an extension.  Regardless, he just seems all wrong for the Bulls new up-tempo offense led by Rose.

So overall none of these moves really makes much sense, especially in light of the fact that the Bulls are legitimate contenders in the 2010 free agent sweepstakes.  Rumors also have the Bulls looking at Nate Robinson, although he would probably put them into the luxury tax this year and command a deal that extended past next summer.  Instead, go out and get a young Rashard McCants type.  Someone cheap with something to prove to play next to Rose.  Then sit on your hands and see if a good trade can get done before the deadline or just wait out next summer.