Odds on where LeBron announces tomorrow

From 5Dimes:

Cleveland -145
Miami -195 (really?)
New Jersey +350
New York Knicks +250
Chicago +300
LA Clippers +800

To me, Cleveland sounds like free money here:

1) He's announcing in Akron, correct? If you wanted to guarantee that he is hated in his hometown forever, then he holds his press conference in Akron and then goes somewhere else.

2) I'm 100% with ValueForRent when he says that if he were leaving, his team would quietly leak it out and not announce in the face of all these Cleveland fans

3) Is he really going to announce Miami when they only have 4 players on their roster (assuming they sign both Wade and Bosh as expected) and only like 12 million in cap room? In order for LeBron to get the max, the Heat have to move Beasley, and I haven't heard that they have any pending deals right now that would move him to give them that cap relief.

4) LeBron can sign for a significant amount of more money with Cleveland (something like 30 million, I believe)

5) What's the one thing that we constantly hear LeBron values over all others? "Loyalty". That screams out Cleveland to me.

I just don't think the location of the announcement can be overlooked. You know the place is gonna be packed with his family, friends, and Cavaliers fans. Would he really stab the Cleveland/Ohio residents in the back, on national television, in his home state? That'd be cold blooded and the easiest way to turn him into Ohio's most hated villain. I don't see LeBron going out like that.

What do you guys think?

According to ESPN so take it for what its worth.Are saying the Announcements not being held in Cleveland or Akron.

I just have a feeling he leaves but not sure where

they dont know where he is announcing, and broussard said Miami is the favorite somehow.  Idk how that is possible.  That is a dream team if all 3 of those players play together.

To think that Chris Bosh passed up on possible 30 million dollars in a sign in trade with Cleveland to play with Wade really stands out to me.

I thought I read somewhere that he was announcing in Ohio... gotta go try to track that tidbit of information down now.

 

I heard that too but if all 3 playing together wouldn't they all announce it together?

 

Kap I just heard this listening to Colin Cowherd but no word on where it is being held at

I don't think they know where he is announcing.

From a CBS.com writer:

"A logical way to examine the events of the past few days for LeBron is to consider the following: A re-launched web site, a new Twitter account that amassed more than 200,000 followers in a matter of hours and plans for an elaborate, one-hour TV announcement of his intentions can only mean one thing: James is saying good-bye.

...

The executive, who has close ties to all three of the top free agents' inner circle of advisors, laid out the following as the most likely scenario heading into James' self-imposed 9 p.m. ET Thursday deadline to announce his plans: 1) James stays in Cleveland; 2) Wade stays in Miami; 3) Bosh joins Wade in Miami via a sign-and-trade arrangement.

....

Put aside for a moment the sheer lunacy of James, an Akron native, using a one-hour infomercial on ESPN to announce to the world that he's turning his back on Northeast Ohio -- and stabbing its collective fan base between the shoulder blades while he's at it. (The fact that proceeds, per a request by James' camp, will go to the Boys & Girls Clubs of America hardly would soften the blow.) Although one high-profile agent said of James, "With an egomaniac like that, you never know," I just can't wrap my mind around it. I can't see James going to such provocative lengths to transform himself so instantly and publicly into a villain.

James announcing Thursday night that he's staying, and re-launching his career amid this suddenly revamped PR campaign, would provide the perfect avenue for him to package the same old, same old as something new. Having tasted the forbidden fruits of free agency and returned to embrace his team, adopted city and birthplace all over again would transform him from the most popular Cleveland athlete ever into a virtual God."

 

Thats why I don't see how they are the favorite to land him. 

One Ohio paper has stated: " It is not known which team James will join or where the announcement will take place."

Perhaps I was acting a little bit in haste when I assumed it would come from Ohio?

I want him to stay in Cleveland so he can lose there.  I want to see the state of florida take over the eastern conference.

The LeBron James Skills Academy ends today in Akron, which hypothetically means that LeBron could leave, fly to another city, and do his announcement in that city.

I honestly think he's staying in Cleveland, but who knows. 

"The location of The Announcement (which it is sure to be dubbed if Cleveland is not the chosen team) is not yet known. Brian Windhorst tweeted that while it might give an idea as to the location of the “winning” city, it is said to be at a neutral location- not one of the cities involved in the running. So LA is available."

Lebron to Knicks to wait for Melo next year?

I see this possibility for Lebron to join Knicks.

I mean, he doesn't necessarily needs to win a championship THIS year to whatever team he chooses.

Perhaps he is thinking about this.

From one Cleveland fan:

"Being a life long Cleveland fan of all their sports, basketball in particular, I’ve watched the Cavs during the good (early 90s) to really, really bad (pretty much after 95) to quite entertaining after Lebron came to play. If Lebron leaves, I don’t know if I can stomach watching them have to rebuild. This whole team was designed around Lebron James either by his blessing or telling the management who they should pick up. As much as I like Lebron the player, I can’t stand Lebron the egomaniac. I sit back and wonder if things could have been different had Lebron not handicapped the team by only signing a three year extension leading up to now. I remember someone asking Lebron what he wants to be remembered as when he leaves the game and his response was being a global icon. Really? How about being the guy that brings a championship to the city of Cleveland? I am so disgusted at how Lebron has created this free agency fiasco. And know he is scheduling an hour long press conference to announce his decision, something that could feasibly take 5 minutes to do? I guess all will be forgotten if his answer is to stay with Cleveland, but if he is putting all of the fans that have grew up watching heartbreaking moments like “The Drive”, “The Shot”, and “The Fumble” then screw you Lebron. Screw you and everything you stand for. It was bad enough to watch Modell move the Browns and set the franchise back years, something the team still hasn’t recovered from. Lebron could be the most hated sports icon ever seen in Ohio. It would have stung to see Lebron leave without all this hoopla but if he goes through this all of this to tell all the fans that grew up in Ohio watching him blossom as a high school player to playing for his hometown team then I’ll be screaming bloody murder."

Of all the places he can go, to me it seems like Miami is not the most promising destination. Who the hell is gonna be on that team other than he, Bosh, and Mario Chalmers? LeBron needs shooters, and the New York Knicks have a great young one in Gallinari and now Amare to play the post (on offense, at least). A LeBron/Amare pick and roll would be unstoppable.

I really, really, really want to hammer Cleveland on this, but I am just a tad hesitant... I don't know if LeBron really wants to end up turning his back on the fans of Ohio who have loved him since he was 14 and become the most hated sports villain there of all time.

Honestly, wouldn't holding a one hour press conference to announce that you are leaving just be an absolute knife in the heart to all his fans at home?

I hope he stays in Cleveland. Lebron is the Cavs and Cleveland can't see him anywhere else.

 

I agree but does he really go back there if he wants to win.Being stuck with Mo & Jamison

Also, is there any chance that Byron Scott takes the Cleveland job if he himself didn't believe that LeBron was returning? Without LeBron, that Cleveland position is one of the worst jobs in the entire league, isn't it?

I think the hour is going to be used thanking the city for all it has done for him, but he would ultimately say he is moving on.

I would put my money on the Knicks. 

Kap - I have one of the biggests bets of my entire life on Bron to stay in Cleveland. I have a ton of different bets with an average price of +300 or so. (bet it before July 1)

I am pretty confident he stays in Cleveland but I'm not sure I would lay - odds to bet it. With that being said, I agree with everything you said about it being difficult to do this big conference, and THEN decide to leave. It really would make things 10x worse on the Cleveland fans.

 

Hope you are right.

 

I tend to agree but that would be brutal to Cavs fans and Cavs_lovers