Cavalier For Life: Why LeBron James Will Stay Put This Summer

Look at the picture.  Now, in your mind, replace that jersey with the blue and orange of the Knicks.  Now the red and white of the Bulls.  Now red and blue for the Nets.  Now stop.

With the trade deadline in the rearview mirror, NBA front offices are turning their attention to this summer and the momentous bidding wars that are sure to ensue over the crop of first-rate free agents that will hit the market.

The most anticipated free agent is none other than the King himself.

But while New York, New Jersey, Chicago, Sacramento, Washington, Miami and the LA Clippers could all make a push for the LBJ's services, the most likely scenario is one that will not leave those hoping for a huge shakeup satisfied.

LeBron will be wearing a Cleveland Cavaliers uniform next season.

Period.

While it's nice to envision James throwing down his monster dunks in Madison Square Gardens forty-one nights a year, or suiting up for the same team his idol lead to six championships in '90s, or the King and the President residing in the same city, the simple truth is the Cavs have too much to offer LeBron.

Everyone knows LeBron is going to get paid, no question about that.  But how much can teams really afford to pay him while also surrounding him with a supporting cast capable of winning?  With the salary cap expected to drop to somewhere around $50 million to $54 million for next season and the potential for a hard cap looming, James probably realizes the team with the best chance at winning and giving him fair market value is the one for which he currently plays.

A quick breakdown of the 3 teams not based in Cleveland with the best chances of landing LeBron:

New York Knicks: Sure, they sign LeBron, sign David Lee (who will also be looking for a large contract), and they still have Gallinari.  They still don't have a big to bang with Dwight Howard - Eddy Curry, who will exercise his player option if he has any brains, isn't gonna cut it.

New Jersey Nets: They have Jay-Z and a new arena coming in two years, but that's about it.  The rest of that team is abysmal.  If they could play Charlotte every night they would have the best record in the league, but unfortunately they only have one more game against the 'Cats.

Chicago Bulls: If they could somehow get Kirk Hinrich's contract off the books they would be in good shape, but that isn't likely and they will likely go in a different direction (read: Dwyane Wade).

The Cavaliers, thanks to the trade for Antawn Jamison, are in great shape to win this year AND next.  And that's what LeBron wants.  He is in his seventh year in the league.  If he doesn't win this year he isn't going to wait around another 3-4 years while Donnie Walsh and Mike D'Antoni acquire the pieces needed to contend for a championship.

Have a look at the Cavs' roster as it stands for next year:

LeBron James

Antawn Jamison

Mo Williams

Anderson Varejao

Delonte West

Daniel Gibson

JJ Hickson

and a slew of benchwarmers.

The Cavs will have to find a big to counter Howard, but they are in better position, by far, than the other teams that cleared their books in order to attract James.

So, while the summer of 2010 promises to be an exciting one, the biggest name in the game won't be taking his game to a new locale.