A Perfect Storm: Chris Bosh and the Oklahoma City Thunder

Before the LeBron James free agent debate began dominating the sports landscape in the last two weeks, another big name free agent made headlines, thanks to the magical world of Twitter.

Bosh changed the location on his profile from Toronto to “Everywhere,” causing a cascade of Tweets and speculation that returning to beautiful Toronto wasn’t even the slightest possibility.

Without reading too much into his Twitter feed, it seems pretty clear that Bosh won’t be heading back to the Raptors. What remains unclear is just how much substance there is to the rumor that he would follow LeBron in free agency—a rumor I first recall hearing during the Beijing Olympics nearly two years ago.

LeBron needs a strong sidekick and will do his best to lure Bosh and A’mare, among others, to follow him to his future (or current) home.

It might be the stuff fans and sports writers dream about, but it is far from being a reality.

Financially, it simply doesn’t make much sense, unless both LeBron and Bosh take a pay cut.

Both the Knicks and Nets could afford to sign two players to max deals, but that would be just about it. That would leave the Knicks—quite literally—with an eight-man roster.

The Nets would be in better shape, but still lack the depth needed for a playoff run.

There is a destination that already has a superstar, a superstar younger than LeBron, looking for help on the front line.

Enter the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Thunder will have roughly $12 million in cap room after July 1, enabling them to make aggressive advances to numerous free agents, ranging from Bosh to Joe Johnson. If the team manages to unload Nick Collison, who has one year remaining on his deal worth $6.5 million, OKC could be in the driver’s seat for many years to come.

Bosh, a native of nearby Dallas, has a personality that would fit perfectly in a small-market city. He wants to play for a contender, and the Thunder are on the cusp of becoming a power in the Western Conference for many years to come.

For all the jokes about living in Oklahoma City, the Thunder have a passionate fan base and considerable room for growth.

Exposure won't be a problem either; Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook will enjoy plenty of national television coverage in the coming seasons. The city might not be the strongest selling point for free agents, but the product on the court will draw considerable interest from players hungry for wins.

With an athletic lineup still looking for a true inside scorer, the acquisition of Bosh could propel OKC to dynasty status.

It won’t be long now until the dominoes start to fall.