NBA Free Agency: The Lesson Learned

For those of us die-hard NBA fans who thought that our nerves were already pushed to their very brink during the culmination of the Lakers-Celtics series nearly a month ago, this free agency has been nothing short of a first class flight to hell.

Consider that after weeks and weeks of speculation, ambiguous clues, unnamed sources, presumptuous prognostication, and a ridiculous amount of Chris Broussard in our lives, none of us still have the faintest idea where the top three free agents will land.

Sure, we may have a strong idea where they won't go. But how comfortable do you feel knowing there is a 50 percent chance that either Wade, Lebron, and/or Bosh might be within reach, as compared to, say, 33 percent?

Or maybe we can all finally admit that when the stakes are this high, even the most favorable odds are only an annoyance when nothing black or white has happened.

Allegedly, Thursday will mark the day that the "mightiest" king since Mufasa will finally announce his decision. One can only expect that Wade and Bosh's announcements will follow shortly thereafter.

But, in the midst of this ongoing soap opera, one thing can be learned.

No matter how much the media and the rest of the sports world wants to pretend as though they wield a certain amount of inside information, the truth is they know very little more than you or I.

They are simply people paid to fill a time slot or a quota of words in an article. And, oh yes, you can bet during that exchange of information that there will likely be an un-named source that creeps its way in so unexpectedly. Now picture Homer Simpson looking at the sight of an un-named source in an article and then drooling over himself like it's a doughnut, and what you get is a snapshot that doesn't deviate far from you or I these last few weeks.

So I urge that in this moment in time when the stakes are high and each player in question continues to hold his cards close to the chest, simply fall back on the one and only meaningful cushion there is to lean on.

None of these guys will get as much money in their bank accounts or years in their contract as they could if they re-signed with their current teams.

And with that information, assume that the worst-case scenario is simply the status-quo.

From this standpoint, your expectations are reasonably low, and the sky can only appear more blue on that final day of judgement.

Most importantly, you won't want to check your blood pressure the day after.