Dave G's Dugout: The Realignment of the NBA

We are two years away from the possible realignment of the National Basketball Association. Whatever happens in the 2010 free agency cycle will shape the league for the next decade. Imagine Lebron James lighting up the crowd at Madison Square Garden, Chris Bosh returning the title to the Palace, or Dwyane Wade's #3 hanging next to Jordan's #23 in the rafters of the United Center. Imagine...

But none of it will happen. For all the talk of how the 2010 free agency market will reshape the league, Lebron, Wade, and Bosh are all likely to stay where they are. After all, these are some loyal and boring young men.

I would love nothing more than to see any of these guys in a Knicks uniform, but the reality is that these guys all have close ties to their current communities. LeBron wasn't some prisoner whisked away to Cleveland. He's from Akron. This is his hometown. And it's not like he's struggling for media attention where he has to run to New York. Wade has already won a championship in Miami. He's beloved there. He says he wants to stick around and I believe him. The only way I could see him leaving is if Chicago makes him an offer, since he's a Chicago kid and he grew up a Bulls fan. Otherwise, I see him sticking around...and even if the Bulls call, it would be a tough choice for him to make. Bosh has the most to gain by fleeing Toronto. He's a superstar but will never garner enough attention or credit playing so far from the media centers of the U.S. But according to Bosh, he loves it there. He's the Raptors' franchise player and, really, the only basketball superstar in the entire country. He might just stay.

I hope I'm wrong. I hope LeBron, D-Wade, or CB4 end up finding their way onto the Knicks. But early indications are that all the hoopla is for nothing. While the media and fans will spend the next two years dissecting every comment these three guys make and talking endlessly about the league's realignment, it looks like everyone will stay put and the pecking order will remain the same. Still, it's fun to wonder...