Chris Bosh Will Join Dwyane Wade in Miami, but Is LeBron James Next?

ESPN's Chris Broussard and Shelley Smith, as well as several other independent sources, reported that Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade are definitely teaming up in Miami. They are expected to make an official announcement later today. 

The news comes as the biggest story of free agency to this point.

The speculation now turning to the third member of the Big Three:

LeBron James.

It was well known that both Wade and LeBron were rallying hard for Bosh to join them next season, with Cleveland and Toronto already having a sign-and-trade proposal on the table to land Bosh in Ohio.

Bosh was reported to have no interest in playing in Cleveland though. He remained adamant about signing with a vibrant city in a major media market. 

To South Beach he goes. 

Even if LeBron doesn't follow Wade and Bosh to Miami, the Heat instantly become contenders in the East.

The team would have only four players under contract, with only Michael Beasley and Mario Chalmers joining Wade and Bosh on the team right now. 

The Heat still have a vast amount of salary cap space, enough to bring in multiple high-profile free agents to fill the holes on the roster or to chase the ultimate dream with a little creativity. 

The Raptors are believed to not be interested in a sign-and-trade deal with the Heat. Now that Bosh has committed to Miami, they may have no choice but to make a deal and at least acquire some compensation. 

If Miami and Toronto do a sign-and-trade for Bosh, which would get him the sixth year and nearly $30 million extra that he's been seeking, Beasley would be sent to the Raptors in exchange for Bosh.

That move would free up enough money for the Heat to potentially make a maximum contract offer to James to join Wade and Bosh. They would instantly form the best three man core in NBA history.

It's been rumored throughout this process that the three have continually spoken of playing together and have been trying to make it happen. Now that Wade and Bosh have made their decision, the chances of that dream team actually joining forces is becoming much closer to a reality. 

Many feel that LeBron wouldn't be willing to play with Wade and Bosh because it would take away the spotlight from him. LeBron, however, has privately and publicly sang a different tune, one that points toward not only his willingness to play with Wade and Bosh, but a very real desire. 

So assuming you were already awaiting the LeBron press conference set for Thursday night on ESPN, you might want to pull up your chair early.

This decision just got a whole lot more interesting.

Regardless of what LeBron decides though, the Heat are likely to walk out of free agency as the big winners. 

With Amar'e Stoudemire committed to New York, it looks like the Chicago Bulls might be in scramble mode now.

The top free agents available besides LeBron are Carlos Boozer, David Lee, and Ray Allen. The drop off is quite significant after those three. 

It's still possible that LeBron heads to Chicago.

However, it appears his best chance to compete for a championship would be to join Wade and Bosh in Miami, Stoudemire in New York, or simply stay at home and trust the Cavs to upgrade the roster. 

The Saga concludes tomorrow night.