The New Jersey Nets are convinced that the Dwyane Wade/Chris Bosh tandem is headed to Miami. Ira Winderman -- the most connected guy with the Heat -- is saying it looks like Wade will return to South Beach.
But now reports are out there that the Cavaliers have a sign-and-trade in place with the Raptors and LeBon James is trying to pair with Bosh on the Cavs.
Nobody knows anything for sure. But things are heating up fast.
The Nets information comes from ESPN’s Chris Broussard:
In this historic summer of NBA uncertainty, one thing is clear to Mikhail Prokhorov: Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh will play for the Miami Heat next season.
Another of Prokhorov’s beliefs is that if LeBron James joins Wade and Bosh in Miami, The King could win “two or three titles” but “diminish the LeBron brand” because he’d be winning with such a power-packed lineup. Those are two of the convictions the New Jersey Nets’ billionaire Russian owner shared with his inner circle of executives before boarding his private jet and leaving the United States over the weekend.
Then this morning there was this tweet from our own Winderman:
Which is another thing Prokhorov thinks as well, according to Broussard: LeBron is considering joining them. It makes the photo of Wade and Bosh in a Chicago restaurant from last week - with the empty chair for LeBron between them, all the more telling. If you can read into that.
However, Wade staying in Miami trying to lure a big power forward to play with him has long been the plan in South Beach.
However, Broussard also said that Cleveland and Toronto have a sign-and-trade worked out and LeBron is trying to convince Bosh to join him in Cleveland.
Which would be a sign LeBron plans to stay in Cleveland, if true. And even with what would be given up in a sign-and-trade --Anderson Varejao, Delonte West, Anthony Parker and some picks? -- the Cavaliers would be instant contenders.
Bosh remains the guy both Wade and LeBron want - he is the connection to a title for them. He balances their game.
Wade and Bosh together would form the core of what could be a powerhouse team. However, with the two of them he Heat would have four players under contract, so there is a lot of team building to go on (building that could take a couple years to get near championship team caliber).
For James, the questions are harder if he does not go to Miami with the other two. Stay home where the heart is in Cleveland and bring Bosh there to be part of a team that would instantly contend? Or maybe LeBron joins Rose and Noah in Chicago? Joins a young core to build a dynasty with New Jersey? Joins Amare in New York to try to win on the biggest stage? No easy answers there.
Everything is murky, but Wade staying in Miami seems to fit the information. And Bosh may well join him for his day in the sun.
