NBA Offseason Begins To Take Shape After Trading Deadline Passes

(Future teammates LeBron James and Chris Bosh?)

The NBA trading deadline came and went this week and several major moves were made which gave us a better idea of how this year's upcoming offseason will unfold. Everyone will have their eyes on LeBron James and I have already talked about how his fate may hinge on the Cleveland Cavaliers ability to win an NBA title this june. The Cavs made perhaps the biggest deadline deal by acquiring talented forward Antawn Jamison from the Wizards along with G Sebastian Telfair in a 3-team deal. Cleveland's front office needed to make a move to show LeBron that they are committed to winning and want him to stay there. The addition of Jamison along with the coming return of G Mo Williams will likely solidify the Cavaliers' place atop the Eastern Conference but they will still have to conquer however comes out of the tough Western Conference. 

There were two other moves that were made to position for the offseason signing period. The New York Knicks made a move to acquire Tracy McGrady (and his monster expiring contract) from the Rockets while at the same time dumping the large contracts of ineffective players Larry Hughes and Jared Jeffries. Over the past two season the Knicks have worked hard to clear enough cap space to allow them to sign both LeBron and another big name player this offseason and are the front runners for King James in my mind (can LeBron really resist the bright lights of New York City?) Another intriguing story was the Miami Heat's failed attempt to trade for Suns F Amar'e Stoudemire. The heat were hoping to land the All Star in attempt to convince G Dwayne Wade to stay when he becomes a free agent. I think the Heat will finish with a mediocre record and Wade will be actively seeking a new team this summer. LeBron's future is still up in the air depending on how his team finishes in the Playoffs so I think Wade will set the Free Agent period in motion. I think both Wade and LeBron will be in new uniforms next year although don't be surprised to see James sign a short 2- or 3-year deal to stay in Cleveland long enough to continue building around him.

P.S. In case you missed it LeBron James dropped 43 points, 15 assists and 13 rebounds last night becoming the first player since Pete Maravich in 1974 to score 40+ points with 15+ assists and 10+ boards. He's pretty good...