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The Lebron sweepstakes

  This is getting crazier than anyone could have imagined. The Plain Dealer is reporting that there are 18 teams who have cleared enough cap space to make a run at Lebron James in the summer of 2010. That's 18 teams who are mortgaging their futures on the outside chance that Lebron will have an insatiable itch to leave Cleveland.

  Ramifications for Cleveland aside, Lebron needs to take a look at what his indecision is causing here. It is very possible that many of those 18 teams will turn their rosters in to uncompetitive, sad displays in the next year just for the chance to take a crack at Lebron. Problem is, only one team will get Lebron James. And yes, there will be a lot of good free agents available in the summer of 2010, but what if the same thing happens that usually happens and most of those players opt to re-sign with their current teams? There could be an awful lot of GM's left standing naked with a fist full of dollars and nothing else to be proud of...

   Which brings me back to Lebron James. Lebron has the unique ability to stop some of this madness. If he is really committed to staying in Cleveland and leading the Cavaliers to several championships, as he kinda-sorta implied at an Obama rally last summer, he could do the league a big favor right now by saying he isn't going anywhere. Hell, he could possibly save the NBA from a massive dip in attendance, ratings, sales, etc. by making such a statement to it's GM's. Imagine how upset fans will be if the summer of 2010 passes and leaves several teams with drained rosters and no superstar to validate it. If over half the NBA's teams adopt the same strategy to throw massive amounts of money (by virtue of a depleted roster) and fail to accomplish anything, why would fans feel inclined to keep supporting their team? By making a loyalty statement now, Lebron could be a hero. And certainly, the city of Cleveland would greatly appreciate a strong verbal committment. They desperately want Lebron to be their first trophy bearer, and all indications are that they are willing to spend whatever it takes to keep him there.

   Of course, the other possibility is that Lebron really is feeling tempted to leave for greener pastures. The longer he maintains his code of silence on the issue, naturally, the more everyone will assume this. All I'm saying is that if Lebron really is loyal to the Cavs, he could save Cleveland -and the NBA in general- a lot of anxiety by making a definitive statement.