[nateoak10Participant]

contract guys is NYK so take that in mind. (Retaining a player is easier than getting a UFA and cheaper)

LBJ : He will stay

Wade : He will stay

Amare : Off to Miami, he wants to win now and unless PHX goes to the finals I dont think he stays. MIA will give him his money as well

CB4 : NYK , some think Houston but it just doesnt work in theory. They dont have enough cap space this off season and a sign and trade would require Scola and Houston wouldnt do that. Especially since they need to retain Yao as well. NYK will give him the max and make there guy

Tmac: MLE in NYK

Felton : NYK, doesn’t this seem just perfect?

Ray Allen : Stays for a cheap deal, if he doesnt want a cheap deal he’s off to ATL

Joe J : CHI for max or NYK for max, cant decide

Lee : Depends on Johnson, if he goes to NYK he will be in CHI, if JJ goes to CHI and Lee is willing to take a cheaper deal to go there I think he will. Other wise I’m throwing a curve ball. The Suns

Boozer : NJN , they can get 1 guy for max this year and they need a 4.

J O’neal : OKC for cheap, he wont start. Ibaka will be there center and O’neal will be a backup getting 20-25 minutes a game. His minutes are already heading towards that area anyways so it wouldnt be a rough transition. Nenad sucks (Just saying)

Shaq : He stays

Dirk : Stays

Gay : Stays

Salmons : If JJ leaves ATL he’s there, if not he stays

[Mr. BasketballParticipant]

LBJ : He will stay

Wade : He will stay

Amare : Miami

CB4 : NYK

Joe J : LAC

Lee : OKC

Boozer : CHI

Shaq : retires

Dirk : Stays

Gay : NJ

Salmons : ATL

[Mr. BasketballParticipant]

LBJ : He will stay

Wade : He will stay

Amare : Miami

CB4 : NYK

Joe J : LAC

Lee : OKC

Boozer : CHI

Shaq : retires

Dirk : Stays

Gay : NJ

Salmons : ATL

[Mr. BasketballParticipant]

LBJ : He will stay

Wade : He will stay

Amare : Miami

CB4 : NYK

Joe J : LAC

Lee : OKC

Boozer : CHI

Shaq : retires

Dirk : Stays

Gay : NJ

Salmons : ATL

[MagikKnickParticipant]

Lebron: Cleveland

Wade: Miami

Amare: Phoenix

CB4: New York…

T-Mac: Maybe Chicago for cheap, i thing that’ll be a good fit

Felton: NYK if all else goes wrong

R. Allen: Bostonnn

Joe J: No clue, ATL/CHI/NYK/ or DAL

D. Lee: OKC

Boozer: Utah or Chi

J. O’Neal: Lol…no clue, but hes gonna take a big azzz pay cut

Shaq: Cleveland, for 1 more year

Dirk: Dallas

Gay: Mem or NJN

Salmons: if Johnson is gone, ATL

[MagikKnickParticipant]

Lebron: Cleveland

Wade: Miami

Amare: Phoenix

CB4: New York…

T-Mac: Maybe Chicago for cheap, i thing that’ll be a good fit

Felton: NYK if all else goes wrong

R. Allen: Bostonnn

Joe J: No clue, ATL/CHI/NYK/ or DAL

D. Lee: OKC

Boozer: Utah or Chi

J. O’Neal: Lol…no clue, but hes gonna take a big azzz pay cut

Shaq: Cleveland, for 1 more year

Dirk: Dallas

Gay: Mem or NJN

Salmons: if Johnson is gone, ATL

[MagikKnickParticipant]

Lebron: Cleveland

Wade: Miami

Amare: Phoenix

CB4: New York…

T-Mac: Maybe Chicago for cheap, i thing that’ll be a good fit

Felton: NYK if all else goes wrong

R. Allen: Bostonnn

Joe J: No clue, ATL/CHI/NYK/ or DAL

D. Lee: OKC

Boozer: Utah or Chi

J. O’Neal: Lol…no clue, but hes gonna take a big azzz pay cut

Shaq: Cleveland, for 1 more year

Dirk: Dallas

Gay: Mem or NJN

Salmons: if Johnson is gone, ATL

[The Scare Crow ReturnsParticipant]

Lebron-leaves if he doesn’t win a ring….hard to see him leaving home but NY/NJ or La Clippers are best bet…Big City…big market and a fresh break…he is all things Ohio…but that can a be a bigger burden then reward…
Wade-Chicago….Miami has no team around him…and He leaves to play with Rose and Noah..and the heart of the Bulls is what will be the deal maker…and it’s his Hometown…I know….but he’s a homer…
Bosh-One of the Texas Teams….either Rockets for Scola…Dallas for Dirk or Spurs for Manu…it works out $$$ wise and BBall wise…Scola is D.Lee minus the $$ Dirk is Dream trade chip and Manu would be star on euro Raptors…Bosh leaves…just a matter of offers a Star type in return…dont count out LAL and Gasol/Bosh swap…they just extended Pau for this reason…and he’s a homer….
Amare-if he’s smart NJ…would get Max(no one really wants to sign there for some reason) and he’d be the # 1 guy…not Wall…though they’ll be spark plugs…but if NJ doesnt win Wall….IDK who’d sign there
Lee- Bucks…call me crazy but can anyone say match made in heaven…will maybe take a S and T..but…Knicks could get 2 more ugly contracts in Ridnour and Gadzuric but would fill 2 spots they need filled…Gadz contrct expires for the summer of Melo…if they swing and miss on the big boys…expect the unexpected…they need a whole roster no doubt…
Boozer-If Riley loses Wade he trades Beasley for lottery pick…or picks(watch out for Memphis…they have picks and if they lose GaY they’ll love Beasley for cheaper) Miami could then build young nucleus…and Will sign Boozer to nice contract…nothing to silly…12 to 15 mil…enough to reach out to Salmons or JJ( dont see JJ there) Boozer ,Salmons and younger core will be The new look Heat…I cann see Hinrich and Deng there too…Pat loves Hinrich type players…
JJ-He’s the guy that could go anywhere or no where…I dont think he gets straight up max offer…S and T to and Dont Laugh…the Sixers…JJ and first round pick/Iggy and their top ten pick…Zaza and Sammy might be swapped too..
Dirk-NY will sign Dirk if all fails in the Lebron/Wade/Bosh sweepstakes…should be S and T to Suns or Raptors….for Amare or Bosh…both teams want their franchise PF’s but Bosh’s wants big city and Amare wants big $$$…Dirk would kill with Nash in PHX for next 3 years or help fast forward the euro Raptor movement…3 team trade this one with SA and it’s a blockbuster…think Dirk/Roddy(Tor) for Bosh(Mavs)Derozen(Spurs) addin Manu(Tor) for Bulter/Haywood(Spurs) and a boat load of picks… and I think Dallas would love Stat on that roster by simply trading Dirk…The suns wouldn’t have to go crazy on Dirks contract either…then their one good 2 guard away…

[The Scare Crow ReturnsParticipant]

Lebron-leaves if he doesn’t win a ring….hard to see him leaving home but NY/NJ or La Clippers are best bet…Big City…big market and a fresh break…he is all things Ohio…but that can a be a bigger burden then reward…
Wade-Chicago….Miami has no team around him…and He leaves to play with Rose and Noah..and the heart of the Bulls is what will be the deal maker…and it’s his Hometown…I know….but he’s a homer…
Bosh-One of the Texas Teams….either Rockets for Scola…Dallas for Dirk or Spurs for Manu…it works out $$$ wise and BBall wise…Scola is D.Lee minus the $$ Dirk is Dream trade chip and Manu would be star on euro Raptors…Bosh leaves…just a matter of offers a Star type in return…dont count out LAL and Gasol/Bosh swap…they just extended Pau for this reason…and he’s a homer….
Amare-if he’s smart NJ…would get Max(no one really wants to sign there for some reason) and he’d be the # 1 guy…not Wall…though they’ll be spark plugs…but if NJ doesnt win Wall….IDK who’d sign there
Lee- Bucks…call me crazy but can anyone say match made in heaven…will maybe take a S and T..but…Knicks could get 2 more ugly contracts in Ridnour and Gadzuric but would fill 2 spots they need filled…Gadz contrct expires for the summer of Melo…if they swing and miss on the big boys…expect the unexpected…they need a whole roster no doubt…
Boozer-If Riley loses Wade he trades Beasley for lottery pick…or picks(watch out for Memphis…they have picks and if they lose GaY they’ll love Beasley for cheaper) Miami could then build young nucleus…and Will sign Boozer to nice contract…nothing to silly…12 to 15 mil…enough to reach out to Salmons or JJ( dont see JJ there) Boozer ,Salmons and younger core will be The new look Heat…I cann see Hinrich and Deng there too…Pat loves Hinrich type players…
JJ-He’s the guy that could go anywhere or no where…I dont think he gets straight up max offer…S and T to and Dont Laugh…the Sixers…JJ and first round pick/Iggy and their top ten pick…Zaza and Sammy might be swapped too..
Dirk-NY will sign Dirk if all fails in the Lebron/Wade/Bosh sweepstakes…should be S and T to Suns or Raptors….for Amare or Bosh…both teams want their franchise PF’s but Bosh’s wants big city and Amare wants big $$$…Dirk would kill with Nash in PHX for next 3 years or help fast forward the euro Raptor movement…3 team trade this one with SA and it’s a blockbuster…think Dirk/Roddy(Tor) for Bosh(Mavs)Derozen(Spurs) addin Manu(Tor) for Bulter/Haywood(Spurs) and a boat load of picks… and I think Dallas would love Stat on that roster by simply trading Dirk…The suns wouldn’t have to go crazy on Dirks contract either…then their one good 2 guard away…

[The Scare Crow ReturnsParticipant]

Lebron-leaves if he doesn’t win a ring….hard to see him leaving home but NY/NJ or La Clippers are best bet…Big City…big market and a fresh break…he is all things Ohio…but that can a be a bigger burden then reward…
Wade-Chicago….Miami has no team around him…and He leaves to play with Rose and Noah..and the heart of the Bulls is what will be the deal maker…and it’s his Hometown…I know….but he’s a homer…
Bosh-One of the Texas Teams….either Rockets for Scola…Dallas for Dirk or Spurs for Manu…it works out $$$ wise and BBall wise…Scola is D.Lee minus the $$ Dirk is Dream trade chip and Manu would be star on euro Raptors…Bosh leaves…just a matter of offers a Star type in return…dont count out LAL and Gasol/Bosh swap…they just extended Pau for this reason…and he’s a homer….
Amare-if he’s smart NJ…would get Max(no one really wants to sign there for some reason) and he’d be the # 1 guy…not Wall…though they’ll be spark plugs…but if NJ doesnt win Wall….IDK who’d sign there
Lee- Bucks…call me crazy but can anyone say match made in heaven…will maybe take a S and T..but…Knicks could get 2 more ugly contracts in Ridnour and Gadzuric but would fill 2 spots they need filled…Gadz contrct expires for the summer of Melo…if they swing and miss on the big boys…expect the unexpected…they need a whole roster no doubt…
Boozer-If Riley loses Wade he trades Beasley for lottery pick…or picks(watch out for Memphis…they have picks and if they lose GaY they’ll love Beasley for cheaper) Miami could then build young nucleus…and Will sign Boozer to nice contract…nothing to silly…12 to 15 mil…enough to reach out to Salmons or JJ( dont see JJ there) Boozer ,Salmons and younger core will be The new look Heat…I cann see Hinrich and Deng there too…Pat loves Hinrich type players…
JJ-He’s the guy that could go anywhere or no where…I dont think he gets straight up max offer…S and T to and Dont Laugh…the Sixers…JJ and first round pick/Iggy and their top ten pick…Zaza and Sammy might be swapped too..
Dirk-NY will sign Dirk if all fails in the Lebron/Wade/Bosh sweepstakes…should be S and T to Suns or Raptors….for Amare or Bosh…both teams want their franchise PF’s but Bosh’s wants big city and Amare wants big $$$…Dirk would kill with Nash in PHX for next 3 years or help fast forward the euro Raptor movement…3 team trade this one with SA and it’s a blockbuster…think Dirk/Roddy(Tor) for Bosh(Mavs)Derozen(Spurs) addin Manu(Tor) for Bulter/Haywood(Spurs) and a boat load of picks… and I think Dallas would love Stat on that roster by simply trading Dirk…The suns wouldn’t have to go crazy on Dirks contract either…then their one good 2 guard away…

[adjose5Participant]

Lebron- Cavs

Wade- Heat or Bulls

Bosh- Heat or Rockets

Amare- Suns or Nets

Boozer- Jazz

Dirk- Mavs

J Johnson- Bulls, Knicks or Hawks

Lee- Thunder

Allen- Nuggets- only if they can move JR Smith or resigns with Celtics

Gay- Clippers or Nets

Shaq- Cavs

Salmons- Hawks or Bucks

T Mac- Knicks or Magic

Felton- Knicks

Richard Jefferson- remember, he said he was really thinking of opting out- Clippers or team that doesn’t play in the half court

J O’Neal- Hawks/Mavs/Rockets/Jazz

[adjose5Participant]

Lebron- Cavs

Wade- Heat or Bulls

Bosh- Heat or Rockets

Amare- Suns or Nets

Boozer- Jazz

Dirk- Mavs

J Johnson- Bulls, Knicks or Hawks

Lee- Thunder

Allen- Nuggets- only if they can move JR Smith or resigns with Celtics

Gay- Clippers or Nets

Shaq- Cavs

Salmons- Hawks or Bucks

T Mac- Knicks or Magic

Felton- Knicks

Richard Jefferson- remember, he said he was really thinking of opting out- Clippers or team that doesn’t play in the half court

J O’Neal- Hawks/Mavs/Rockets/Jazz

[adjose5Participant]

Lebron- Cavs

Wade- Heat or Bulls

Bosh- Heat or Rockets

Amare- Suns or Nets

Boozer- Jazz

Dirk- Mavs

J Johnson- Bulls, Knicks or Hawks

Lee- Thunder

Allen- Nuggets- only if they can move JR Smith or resigns with Celtics

Gay- Clippers or Nets

Shaq- Cavs

Salmons- Hawks or Bucks

T Mac- Knicks or Magic

Felton- Knicks

Richard Jefferson- remember, he said he was really thinking of opting out- Clippers or team that doesn’t play in the half court

J O’Neal- Hawks/Mavs/Rockets/Jazz

[mikeyvthedonParticipant]

LeBron James: Stays in Cleveland. Other possibilities: New York, New Jersey (Especially if New Jersey lands a player like John Wall, it could be a motivating factor. Their biggest issue right now is at 3/4, LeBron would definitely be able to cover that)

Dwyane Wade: Stays in Miami. Other possibilities: Chicago homecoming, New York with LeBron or a Chris Bosh

Chris Bosh: Stays in Toronto, lol, I am just kidding. Actually, I believe he will go to the Heat and play with Dwyane. Other possibilities: New York (hopefully that David Lee sign and trade could actually work out), Houston (if a sign and trade was a possibility, and hopefully send Turkoglu as well, lol, though that won’t happen) and if pigs do decide to take over man kind, Toronto

Amare Stoudemire: I think he stays in Phoenix. He has had a good role with them and I think he realizes the benefits of playing with a Steve Nash. Not to mention, maybe he feels like Sarver will finally spend money and with the way they played this year, maybe they still have somewhat of a window of opportunity. Obviously they are quite old at certain positions, but at the same time, they have some good young players who will improve (Earl Clark, Robin Lopez, Goran Dragic and Leandro Barbosa, that could eventually be a line-up of some substance). Granted, he could probably find more likely winning scenarios on other teams, but for some reason I think he stays a Sun. Other possibilities: New Jersey (He would fit in quite well, would definitely give them a great 4/5 combo playing with the better of the two Lopez’s. Robin will never be on Brooks level, except possibly on defense.), New York (reunite with D’Antoni, play super run and gun and probably still suffer the same issues when it comes to defense unless they get a total freak next to him such as LeBron) and Miami (I just feel Bosh will go there for some reason, and maybe they prefer Bosh over Stoudemire for defense/rebounding)

Dirk Nowitzki: Stays with Mavericks. I see no other possible destination, I just never see him leaving Dallas.

Joe Johnson: New York Knicks. I think it is a done deal, and I think it will fit Joe Johnson quite well. He is not a franchise player, but if they get a big guy to go along with him or even if the rumors of LeBron wanting to play with JJ are true, than they could be a contender. Joe fits the run and gun system really well, as he is big enough to provide match up problems on both sides of the court, he is not a huge defensive liability. D’Antoni’s system needs a great personnel and Joe would be one of the better 2 guards to fit it with his outside shooting and ability to run the floor. Other possibilities: Retuning to the Hawks, playing 3 for the Clippers (would not be a bad idea, and I could see him fitting in their very well), New Jersey (I think they could throw max money at him and he takes it, because he honestly is not a max player, though I would only give max money to hand full of players anyway and their would be worse players to give max money too), and at this point, if he could sign and trade with the Celtics, the team that drafted him and did not wait for him to develop, he would make an interesting replacement for Ray Allen in the Celtics line-up.

Tracy McGrady: I think I have to go with Tracy signing with Orlando. As much as I do not want this to happen, and their is a great possibility it does not, I could see him wanting to go back to his best years in the league with the Magic, his home state and running with Vince. Granted, they have had a plethora of bumps in the road and injuries, and both may be shadows of their former selves, but all in all, I think they are still both All-Star caliber players. Imagine a line-up of Jameer Nelson, Vince Carter, Tracy McGrady, Rashard Lewis and Dwight Howard. That, to me, is scary. I just have a dislike for the Magic, but I still know they are a great team, and with T-Mac, it could push them over the top I feel. Yes, he has still yet to be playing when a team has advanced past round 1, but he has always given a huge effort in the play-offs, and I just think that team would cause a ton of match-up problems and still have a nice group of players backing them up. My hope is that it does not happen, but it has to be a scenario that the Magic think about this off-season if they do not win it all, and even if they do (which I honestly hope does not happen, but stranger things have). Other possibilities: New York, Chicago, Cleveland, a number of teams depending on of course the amount of money he wants to play for. At this point, it is hard to gauge how much he is worth and if he is willing to settle for a smaller contract to play on a potential contender or trying to get another big pay cheque to play with a team where he can still be the man.

Carlos Boozer: New Jersey Nets. I think this is the guy the Nets end up settling with, and he will be a solid pick-up, but probably very low on their wish list as this free agent class is loaded. But, I think they will offer him the money and position on the team that he likely desires, and I am guessing it could be enough to make him leave Utah. I just feel like the Paul Millsap situation is so strange, as Paul is not Carlos Boozer, but he deserves his chance to shine and Boozer in the past has shown that he is willing to leave a good situation for money. He has done a lot for the Jazz over the past few years, but I doubt he sees Utah as a dream scenario and I am guessing there is trouble in paradise (lol, Utah is paradise, kidding Mormons). Other possibilities: Staying in Utah, Phoenix (if Amare leaves), Miami, do not see him fitting with New York but I nonetheless think they could be in play

Ray Allen: Staying with Celtics. I think he is still playing at a high level and he is not the entire reason for their fall from championship contenders. Their bench has become weaker over the past few seasons and Ray if anything has increased his role from their 2008 championship season, where I felt he played incredibly sub par for most of the play-offs. Other possibilities: I do not see any honestly, but it would be a trade for a replacement SG. I do not see Atlanta as being an ideal destination for Ray though.

Raymond Felton: As much as I do not see Raymond Felton as a great PG to run the D’Antoni offense, I look at the Knicks combination of options and possible candidates and think that it is a scenario they will likely settle on. They have the money to spend and PG has become an issue for them with their trading of Nate Robinson, who was not the answer and the likelihood that Chris Duhon is still not the answer. So, as much as I do not think it is a great fit, Raymond signing with New York just seems like a likelihood. Other possibilities: Staying in Charlotte, Indiana (I think this would be a much better place for him, though he would likely have to take the MLE), Memphis (with all the talk of them looking to replace Mike Conley)

John Salmons: Stays in Milwaukee. It worked out very well for him, he will have that starting SG spot as they look to move Michael Redd and I think he will cash in on a great scenario for him to keep getting shots and playing a big role. Other possibilities: Atlanta if Joe Johnson leaves, going back to Sacramento where they now are without a real 2 guard if they keep Tyreke Evans at the point, and I could even see the Clippers making a play and having Salmons be the 3 in a guard line-up, though I think it would be a stretch.

David Lee: Staying in New York. He could sign with OKC, though I am still not sure if that is a great place for him, or in a best case scenario for the Raptors, be sent to Toronto in a sign and trade for Bosh, but I feel like if they miss out on the big guns of LeBron, Bosh, Stoudemire or Wade to most likely play beside Joe Johnson, who I think will be a Knick, than they just go with Lee instead of, say, a Carlos Boozer. He has definitely be one of the better things going on with that franchise, and while he certainly has his shortcomings (which I believe are mostly on defense), he has shown he is a solid 18-10 guy, and you can have worse things at the 4/5. Plus he runs the floor and crashes the offensive boards, so I could see D’Antoni wanting to keep him around. Other possibilities: Toronto (the sign and trade), OKC (They would have a strange line-up, but they need better big guys and rebounding, so he seems like a possible guy they would go after), Phoenix (if Amare leaves)

Richard Jefferson: I do not think he has a player option on his contract, but if he does, he would be crazy to use it. Just crazy. No team is going to pay him 15 million, and as much as the Clippers could be a good scenario for him, he would not be signing for even half of that. Staying in San Antonio.

Rudy Gay: As a restricted free agent, I see this happening with Rudy. Rudy signs a max or near max deal with New Jersey and Memphis matches. He could fit in really well with either the Clippers or the Nets, and as much as I think Memphis would love to stay cheap and not shell out that much money for Rudy, I see them sticking to their word and keeping him.

Jermaine O’Neal: Very good question as far as where Jermaine will go. I do not think he will be back in Miami, no reunion with Bosh. But, it all depends on what he is willing to settle for contract wise. I think Oklahoma City could be a definite possibility. They have a Center prospect in Serge Ibaka, but I could see Serge as a back-up at 4/5 for a couple more years, though I think he will be a stud. But, Jermaine would be risky, as I think they would have to spend 6-8 million to get him, if not more, and he of course has been riddled with injuries and is a shell of his former self. I think Jermaine might just end up taking an MLE, and I think Houston is a good spot for him to do that. I am guessing he does not necessarily care about getting an incredible amount of minutes, and I see him fitting in very well with their stable of bigs. Backing up Yao, if he is back, or even taking the starting 5 spot if he is not. Besides, I see OKC ending up with a big man in a much better spot to be paid more than he deserves. Other possibilities: Dallas (where he could be seen as the 5 they had been missing), OKC, Cleveland (They might need to look for big man depth, and he definitely could be a possibility of a younger center for them 🙂

Shaquille O’Neal: Will retire a champion (I sincerely hope). I thought it was his last year, and I guess I still do. I know he has hinted at coming back, and I would not be totally against it, but Shaq has been my favorite player since he entered the league. I just somehow always wanted whatever team he was on to win it, and it has been a stress filled 18 years. It would be great if he went out on top and went out as a contributor on a team that gives him a fist full of rings. But, I could see him finding it hard to say no to playing on a team that has just won a title. But, I am sticking with retirement.

Brendan Haywood: I was talking to someone a couple months ago, and he made it seem like Brendan Haywood to the Thunder was a foregone conclusion. He also thought it was the perfect addition to make the Thunder a contender, though I tend to disagree with that. But, he is a better big than they currently have, would provide much needed rebounding and defense that Nenad Krstic does not and he is just a classic center, which is not bad to have. He always looked like the kind of player who could eventually be a dominant big, I mean, huge frame, wing span, good athlete. However, even back to his time in college, I always remember him being kind of an underachiever, and the Dallas scenario just seems to show that as well. The fact that his presence could not get the Mavs past the Spurs has to be hugely disappointing for those hoping he would be the Center the Mavericks were missing. But, maybe OKC young revolution will fit really well with him. In their search for better big guys, OKC could do worse than Haywood. Other possibilities: Dallas (though I am pretty sure he was pissed off with his role their, matched with the fact of their embarrassing round 1 exit), Sacramento (who could be a player in the free agent game, and had issues with Spencer Hawes. Jason Thompson at Center probably does not thrill them either, as he is more of a 4)

So, the list of these free agents predicted destinations is as follows:

LeBron: Cavs
Wade: Heat
Bosh: Heat
Amare: Suns
Dirk: Mavs
Joe Johnson: Knicks
Tracy McGrady: Orlando
Carlos Boozer: Nets
Ray Allen: Celtics
Raymond Felton: Knicks
John Salmons: Bucks
David Lee: Knicks
Rudy Gay: Grizzlies
Jermaine O’Neal: Rockets
Shaquille O’Neal: Retires
Brendan Haywood: Thunder

[mikeyvthedonParticipant]

LeBron James: Stays in Cleveland. Other possibilities: New York, New Jersey (Especially if New Jersey lands a player like John Wall, it could be a motivating factor. Their biggest issue right now is at 3/4, LeBron would definitely be able to cover that)

Dwyane Wade: Stays in Miami. Other possibilities: Chicago homecoming, New York with LeBron or a Chris Bosh

Chris Bosh: Stays in Toronto, lol, I am just kidding. Actually, I believe he will go to the Heat and play with Dwyane. Other possibilities: New York (hopefully that David Lee sign and trade could actually work out), Houston (if a sign and trade was a possibility, and hopefully send Turkoglu as well, lol, though that won’t happen) and if pigs do decide to take over man kind, Toronto

Amare Stoudemire: I think he stays in Phoenix. He has had a good role with them and I think he realizes the benefits of playing with a Steve Nash. Not to mention, maybe he feels like Sarver will finally spend money and with the way they played this year, maybe they still have somewhat of a window of opportunity. Obviously they are quite old at certain positions, but at the same time, they have some good young players who will improve (Earl Clark, Robin Lopez, Goran Dragic and Leandro Barbosa, that could eventually be a line-up of some substance). Granted, he could probably find more likely winning scenarios on other teams, but for some reason I think he stays a Sun. Other possibilities: New Jersey (He would fit in quite well, would definitely give them a great 4/5 combo playing with the better of the two Lopez’s. Robin will never be on Brooks level, except possibly on defense.), New York (reunite with D’Antoni, play super run and gun and probably still suffer the same issues when it comes to defense unless they get a total freak next to him such as LeBron) and Miami (I just feel Bosh will go there for some reason, and maybe they prefer Bosh over Stoudemire for defense/rebounding)

Dirk Nowitzki: Stays with Mavericks. I see no other possible destination, I just never see him leaving Dallas.

Joe Johnson: New York Knicks. I think it is a done deal, and I think it will fit Joe Johnson quite well. He is not a franchise player, but if they get a big guy to go along with him or even if the rumors of LeBron wanting to play with JJ are true, than they could be a contender. Joe fits the run and gun system really well, as he is big enough to provide match up problems on both sides of the court, he is not a huge defensive liability. D’Antoni’s system needs a great personnel and Joe would be one of the better 2 guards to fit it with his outside shooting and ability to run the floor. Other possibilities: Retuning to the Hawks, playing 3 for the Clippers (would not be a bad idea, and I could see him fitting in their very well), New Jersey (I think they could throw max money at him and he takes it, because he honestly is not a max player, though I would only give max money to hand full of players anyway and their would be worse players to give max money too), and at this point, if he could sign and trade with the Celtics, the team that drafted him and did not wait for him to develop, he would make an interesting replacement for Ray Allen in the Celtics line-up.

Tracy McGrady: I think I have to go with Tracy signing with Orlando. As much as I do not want this to happen, and their is a great possibility it does not, I could see him wanting to go back to his best years in the league with the Magic, his home state and running with Vince. Granted, they have had a plethora of bumps in the road and injuries, and both may be shadows of their former selves, but all in all, I think they are still both All-Star caliber players. Imagine a line-up of Jameer Nelson, Vince Carter, Tracy McGrady, Rashard Lewis and Dwight Howard. That, to me, is scary. I just have a dislike for the Magic, but I still know they are a great team, and with T-Mac, it could push them over the top I feel. Yes, he has still yet to be playing when a team has advanced past round 1, but he has always given a huge effort in the play-offs, and I just think that team would cause a ton of match-up problems and still have a nice group of players backing them up. My hope is that it does not happen, but it has to be a scenario that the Magic think about this off-season if they do not win it all, and even if they do (which I honestly hope does not happen, but stranger things have). Other possibilities: New York, Chicago, Cleveland, a number of teams depending on of course the amount of money he wants to play for. At this point, it is hard to gauge how much he is worth and if he is willing to settle for a smaller contract to play on a potential contender or trying to get another big pay cheque to play with a team where he can still be the man.

Carlos Boozer: New Jersey Nets. I think this is the guy the Nets end up settling with, and he will be a solid pick-up, but probably very low on their wish list as this free agent class is loaded. But, I think they will offer him the money and position on the team that he likely desires, and I am guessing it could be enough to make him leave Utah. I just feel like the Paul Millsap situation is so strange, as Paul is not Carlos Boozer, but he deserves his chance to shine and Boozer in the past has shown that he is willing to leave a good situation for money. He has done a lot for the Jazz over the past few years, but I doubt he sees Utah as a dream scenario and I am guessing there is trouble in paradise (lol, Utah is paradise, kidding Mormons). Other possibilities: Staying in Utah, Phoenix (if Amare leaves), Miami, do not see him fitting with New York but I nonetheless think they could be in play

Ray Allen: Staying with Celtics. I think he is still playing at a high level and he is not the entire reason for their fall from championship contenders. Their bench has become weaker over the past few seasons and Ray if anything has increased his role from their 2008 championship season, where I felt he played incredibly sub par for most of the play-offs. Other possibilities: I do not see any honestly, but it would be a trade for a replacement SG. I do not see Atlanta as being an ideal destination for Ray though.

Raymond Felton: As much as I do not see Raymond Felton as a great PG to run the D’Antoni offense, I look at the Knicks combination of options and possible candidates and think that it is a scenario they will likely settle on. They have the money to spend and PG has become an issue for them with their trading of Nate Robinson, who was not the answer and the likelihood that Chris Duhon is still not the answer. So, as much as I do not think it is a great fit, Raymond signing with New York just seems like a likelihood. Other possibilities: Staying in Charlotte, Indiana (I think this would be a much better place for him, though he would likely have to take the MLE), Memphis (with all the talk of them looking to replace Mike Conley)

John Salmons: Stays in Milwaukee. It worked out very well for him, he will have that starting SG spot as they look to move Michael Redd and I think he will cash in on a great scenario for him to keep getting shots and playing a big role. Other possibilities: Atlanta if Joe Johnson leaves, going back to Sacramento where they now are without a real 2 guard if they keep Tyreke Evans at the point, and I could even see the Clippers making a play and having Salmons be the 3 in a guard line-up, though I think it would be a stretch.

David Lee: Staying in New York. He could sign with OKC, though I am still not sure if that is a great place for him, or in a best case scenario for the Raptors, be sent to Toronto in a sign and trade for Bosh, but I feel like if they miss out on the big guns of LeBron, Bosh, Stoudemire or Wade to most likely play beside Joe Johnson, who I think will be a Knick, than they just go with Lee instead of, say, a Carlos Boozer. He has definitely be one of the better things going on with that franchise, and while he certainly has his shortcomings (which I believe are mostly on defense), he has shown he is a solid 18-10 guy, and you can have worse things at the 4/5. Plus he runs the floor and crashes the offensive boards, so I could see D’Antoni wanting to keep him around. Other possibilities: Toronto (the sign and trade), OKC (They would have a strange line-up, but they need better big guys and rebounding, so he seems like a possible guy they would go after), Phoenix (if Amare leaves)

Richard Jefferson: I do not think he has a player option on his contract, but if he does, he would be crazy to use it. Just crazy. No team is going to pay him 15 million, and as much as the Clippers could be a good scenario for him, he would not be signing for even half of that. Staying in San Antonio.

Rudy Gay: As a restricted free agent, I see this happening with Rudy. Rudy signs a max or near max deal with New Jersey and Memphis matches. He could fit in really well with either the Clippers or the Nets, and as much as I think Memphis would love to stay cheap and not shell out that much money for Rudy, I see them sticking to their word and keeping him.

Jermaine O’Neal: Very good question as far as where Jermaine will go. I do not think he will be back in Miami, no reunion with Bosh. But, it all depends on what he is willing to settle for contract wise. I think Oklahoma City could be a definite possibility. They have a Center prospect in Serge Ibaka, but I could see Serge as a back-up at 4/5 for a couple more years, though I think he will be a stud. But, Jermaine would be risky, as I think they would have to spend 6-8 million to get him, if not more, and he of course has been riddled with injuries and is a shell of his former self. I think Jermaine might just end up taking an MLE, and I think Houston is a good spot for him to do that. I am guessing he does not necessarily care about getting an incredible amount of minutes, and I see him fitting in very well with their stable of bigs. Backing up Yao, if he is back, or even taking the starting 5 spot if he is not. Besides, I see OKC ending up with a big man in a much better spot to be paid more than he deserves. Other possibilities: Dallas (where he could be seen as the 5 they had been missing), OKC, Cleveland (They might need to look for big man depth, and he definitely could be a possibility of a younger center for them 🙂

Shaquille O’Neal: Will retire a champion (I sincerely hope). I thought it was his last year, and I guess I still do. I know he has hinted at coming back, and I would not be totally against it, but Shaq has been my favorite player since he entered the league. I just somehow always wanted whatever team he was on to win it, and it has been a stress filled 18 years. It would be great if he went out on top and went out as a contributor on a team that gives him a fist full of rings. But, I could see him finding it hard to say no to playing on a team that has just won a title. But, I am sticking with retirement.

Brendan Haywood: I was talking to someone a couple months ago, and he made it seem like Brendan Haywood to the Thunder was a foregone conclusion. He also thought it was the perfect addition to make the Thunder a contender, though I tend to disagree with that. But, he is a better big than they currently have, would provide much needed rebounding and defense that Nenad Krstic does not and he is just a classic center, which is not bad to have. He always looked like the kind of player who could eventually be a dominant big, I mean, huge frame, wing span, good athlete. However, even back to his time in college, I always remember him being kind of an underachiever, and the Dallas scenario just seems to show that as well. The fact that his presence could not get the Mavs past the Spurs has to be hugely disappointing for those hoping he would be the Center the Mavericks were missing. But, maybe OKC young revolution will fit really well with him. In their search for better big guys, OKC could do worse than Haywood. Other possibilities: Dallas (though I am pretty sure he was pissed off with his role their, matched with the fact of their embarrassing round 1 exit), Sacramento (who could be a player in the free agent game, and had issues with Spencer Hawes. Jason Thompson at Center probably does not thrill them either, as he is more of a 4)

So, the list of these free agents predicted destinations is as follows:

LeBron: Cavs
Wade: Heat
Bosh: Heat
Amare: Suns
Dirk: Mavs
Joe Johnson: Knicks
Tracy McGrady: Orlando
Carlos Boozer: Nets
Ray Allen: Celtics
Raymond Felton: Knicks
John Salmons: Bucks
David Lee: Knicks
Rudy Gay: Grizzlies
Jermaine O’Neal: Rockets
Shaquille O’Neal: Retires
Brendan Haywood: Thunder

[mikeyvthedonParticipant]

LeBron James: Stays in Cleveland. Other possibilities: New York, New Jersey (Especially if New Jersey lands a player like John Wall, it could be a motivating factor. Their biggest issue right now is at 3/4, LeBron would definitely be able to cover that)

Dwyane Wade: Stays in Miami. Other possibilities: Chicago homecoming, New York with LeBron or a Chris Bosh

Chris Bosh: Stays in Toronto, lol, I am just kidding. Actually, I believe he will go to the Heat and play with Dwyane. Other possibilities: New York (hopefully that David Lee sign and trade could actually work out), Houston (if a sign and trade was a possibility, and hopefully send Turkoglu as well, lol, though that won’t happen) and if pigs do decide to take over man kind, Toronto

Amare Stoudemire: I think he stays in Phoenix. He has had a good role with them and I think he realizes the benefits of playing with a Steve Nash. Not to mention, maybe he feels like Sarver will finally spend money and with the way they played this year, maybe they still have somewhat of a window of opportunity. Obviously they are quite old at certain positions, but at the same time, they have some good young players who will improve (Earl Clark, Robin Lopez, Goran Dragic and Leandro Barbosa, that could eventually be a line-up of some substance). Granted, he could probably find more likely winning scenarios on other teams, but for some reason I think he stays a Sun. Other possibilities: New Jersey (He would fit in quite well, would definitely give them a great 4/5 combo playing with the better of the two Lopez’s. Robin will never be on Brooks level, except possibly on defense.), New York (reunite with D’Antoni, play super run and gun and probably still suffer the same issues when it comes to defense unless they get a total freak next to him such as LeBron) and Miami (I just feel Bosh will go there for some reason, and maybe they prefer Bosh over Stoudemire for defense/rebounding)

Dirk Nowitzki: Stays with Mavericks. I see no other possible destination, I just never see him leaving Dallas.

Joe Johnson: New York Knicks. I think it is a done deal, and I think it will fit Joe Johnson quite well. He is not a franchise player, but if they get a big guy to go along with him or even if the rumors of LeBron wanting to play with JJ are true, than they could be a contender. Joe fits the run and gun system really well, as he is big enough to provide match up problems on both sides of the court, he is not a huge defensive liability. D’Antoni’s system needs a great personnel and Joe would be one of the better 2 guards to fit it with his outside shooting and ability to run the floor. Other possibilities: Retuning to the Hawks, playing 3 for the Clippers (would not be a bad idea, and I could see him fitting in their very well), New Jersey (I think they could throw max money at him and he takes it, because he honestly is not a max player, though I would only give max money to hand full of players anyway and their would be worse players to give max money too), and at this point, if he could sign and trade with the Celtics, the team that drafted him and did not wait for him to develop, he would make an interesting replacement for Ray Allen in the Celtics line-up.

Tracy McGrady: I think I have to go with Tracy signing with Orlando. As much as I do not want this to happen, and their is a great possibility it does not, I could see him wanting to go back to his best years in the league with the Magic, his home state and running with Vince. Granted, they have had a plethora of bumps in the road and injuries, and both may be shadows of their former selves, but all in all, I think they are still both All-Star caliber players. Imagine a line-up of Jameer Nelson, Vince Carter, Tracy McGrady, Rashard Lewis and Dwight Howard. That, to me, is scary. I just have a dislike for the Magic, but I still know they are a great team, and with T-Mac, it could push them over the top I feel. Yes, he has still yet to be playing when a team has advanced past round 1, but he has always given a huge effort in the play-offs, and I just think that team would cause a ton of match-up problems and still have a nice group of players backing them up. My hope is that it does not happen, but it has to be a scenario that the Magic think about this off-season if they do not win it all, and even if they do (which I honestly hope does not happen, but stranger things have). Other possibilities: New York, Chicago, Cleveland, a number of teams depending on of course the amount of money he wants to play for. At this point, it is hard to gauge how much he is worth and if he is willing to settle for a smaller contract to play on a potential contender or trying to get another big pay cheque to play with a team where he can still be the man.

Carlos Boozer: New Jersey Nets. I think this is the guy the Nets end up settling with, and he will be a solid pick-up, but probably very low on their wish list as this free agent class is loaded. But, I think they will offer him the money and position on the team that he likely desires, and I am guessing it could be enough to make him leave Utah. I just feel like the Paul Millsap situation is so strange, as Paul is not Carlos Boozer, but he deserves his chance to shine and Boozer in the past has shown that he is willing to leave a good situation for money. He has done a lot for the Jazz over the past few years, but I doubt he sees Utah as a dream scenario and I am guessing there is trouble in paradise (lol, Utah is paradise, kidding Mormons). Other possibilities: Staying in Utah, Phoenix (if Amare leaves), Miami, do not see him fitting with New York but I nonetheless think they could be in play

Ray Allen: Staying with Celtics. I think he is still playing at a high level and he is not the entire reason for their fall from championship contenders. Their bench has become weaker over the past few seasons and Ray if anything has increased his role from their 2008 championship season, where I felt he played incredibly sub par for most of the play-offs. Other possibilities: I do not see any honestly, but it would be a trade for a replacement SG. I do not see Atlanta as being an ideal destination for Ray though.

Raymond Felton: As much as I do not see Raymond Felton as a great PG to run the D’Antoni offense, I look at the Knicks combination of options and possible candidates and think that it is a scenario they will likely settle on. They have the money to spend and PG has become an issue for them with their trading of Nate Robinson, who was not the answer and the likelihood that Chris Duhon is still not the answer. So, as much as I do not think it is a great fit, Raymond signing with New York just seems like a likelihood. Other possibilities: Staying in Charlotte, Indiana (I think this would be a much better place for him, though he would likely have to take the MLE), Memphis (with all the talk of them looking to replace Mike Conley)

John Salmons: Stays in Milwaukee. It worked out very well for him, he will have that starting SG spot as they look to move Michael Redd and I think he will cash in on a great scenario for him to keep getting shots and playing a big role. Other possibilities: Atlanta if Joe Johnson leaves, going back to Sacramento where they now are without a real 2 guard if they keep Tyreke Evans at the point, and I could even see the Clippers making a play and having Salmons be the 3 in a guard line-up, though I think it would be a stretch.

David Lee: Staying in New York. He could sign with OKC, though I am still not sure if that is a great place for him, or in a best case scenario for the Raptors, be sent to Toronto in a sign and trade for Bosh, but I feel like if they miss out on the big guns of LeBron, Bosh, Stoudemire or Wade to most likely play beside Joe Johnson, who I think will be a Knick, than they just go with Lee instead of, say, a Carlos Boozer. He has definitely be one of the better things going on with that franchise, and while he certainly has his shortcomings (which I believe are mostly on defense), he has shown he is a solid 18-10 guy, and you can have worse things at the 4/5. Plus he runs the floor and crashes the offensive boards, so I could see D’Antoni wanting to keep him around. Other possibilities: Toronto (the sign and trade), OKC (They would have a strange line-up, but they need better big guys and rebounding, so he seems like a possible guy they would go after), Phoenix (if Amare leaves)

Richard Jefferson: I do not think he has a player option on his contract, but if he does, he would be crazy to use it. Just crazy. No team is going to pay him 15 million, and as much as the Clippers could be a good scenario for him, he would not be signing for even half of that. Staying in San Antonio.

Rudy Gay: As a restricted free agent, I see this happening with Rudy. Rudy signs a max or near max deal with New Jersey and Memphis matches. He could fit in really well with either the Clippers or the Nets, and as much as I think Memphis would love to stay cheap and not shell out that much money for Rudy, I see them sticking to their word and keeping him.

Jermaine O’Neal: Very good question as far as where Jermaine will go. I do not think he will be back in Miami, no reunion with Bosh. But, it all depends on what he is willing to settle for contract wise. I think Oklahoma City could be a definite possibility. They have a Center prospect in Serge Ibaka, but I could see Serge as a back-up at 4/5 for a couple more years, though I think he will be a stud. But, Jermaine would be risky, as I think they would have to spend 6-8 million to get him, if not more, and he of course has been riddled with injuries and is a shell of his former self. I think Jermaine might just end up taking an MLE, and I think Houston is a good spot for him to do that. I am guessing he does not necessarily care about getting an incredible amount of minutes, and I see him fitting in very well with their stable of bigs. Backing up Yao, if he is back, or even taking the starting 5 spot if he is not. Besides, I see OKC ending up with a big man in a much better spot to be paid more than he deserves. Other possibilities: Dallas (where he could be seen as the 5 they had been missing), OKC, Cleveland (They might need to look for big man depth, and he definitely could be a possibility of a younger center for them 🙂

Shaquille O’Neal: Will retire a champion (I sincerely hope). I thought it was his last year, and I guess I still do. I know he has hinted at coming back, and I would not be totally against it, but Shaq has been my favorite player since he entered the league. I just somehow always wanted whatever team he was on to win it, and it has been a stress filled 18 years. It would be great if he went out on top and went out as a contributor on a team that gives him a fist full of rings. But, I could see him finding it hard to say no to playing on a team that has just won a title. But, I am sticking with retirement.

Brendan Haywood: I was talking to someone a couple months ago, and he made it seem like Brendan Haywood to the Thunder was a foregone conclusion. He also thought it was the perfect addition to make the Thunder a contender, though I tend to disagree with that. But, he is a better big than they currently have, would provide much needed rebounding and defense that Nenad Krstic does not and he is just a classic center, which is not bad to have. He always looked like the kind of player who could eventually be a dominant big, I mean, huge frame, wing span, good athlete. However, even back to his time in college, I always remember him being kind of an underachiever, and the Dallas scenario just seems to show that as well. The fact that his presence could not get the Mavs past the Spurs has to be hugely disappointing for those hoping he would be the Center the Mavericks were missing. But, maybe OKC young revolution will fit really well with him. In their search for better big guys, OKC could do worse than Haywood. Other possibilities: Dallas (though I am pretty sure he was pissed off with his role their, matched with the fact of their embarrassing round 1 exit), Sacramento (who could be a player in the free agent game, and had issues with Spencer Hawes. Jason Thompson at Center probably does not thrill them either, as he is more of a 4)

So, the list of these free agents predicted destinations is as follows:

LeBron: Cavs
Wade: Heat
Bosh: Heat
Amare: Suns
Dirk: Mavs
Joe Johnson: Knicks
Tracy McGrady: Orlando
Carlos Boozer: Nets
Ray Allen: Celtics
Raymond Felton: Knicks
John Salmons: Bucks
David Lee: Knicks
Rudy Gay: Grizzlies
Jermaine O’Neal: Rockets
Shaquille O’Neal: Retires
Brendan Haywood: Thunder

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