LeBron confirms his future in Akron; Cleveland in question

LeBron James did an interview with ESPN this week and seemed to cast doubt on his future with the Cavaliers.

His telltale line stressed that he plans to continue living in his hometown of Akron, no matter what happens when he becomes a free agent in 2010.

“My loyalty is to Akron,” he said. “I'm looking forward to this upcoming season, but I'm looking forward to the summer of 2010, too, to see what may happen. No matter what happens that summer, you know, I'm still here. I've got a nice big house here that I'm always coming back to. You know, I love this city and I'll always give back to this city no matter what my profession; if it takes me somewhere else.”

Here’s a short story from the Cleveland Plain-Dealer that links to the interview. Just as interesting are the comments that follow. Pessimism about James’ future with the Cavs appears to be growing, and in an unrelated issue, several readers accuse King James of being a poor tipper.

LeBron James tells ESPN: ‘I’m looking forward to 2010’

Maybe James is laying the groundwork for his Ohio exit next summer, but it’s too soon to say what will happen. Where would he go?

If he plans to conquer the world through sports marketing, New York is the obvious destination. The Knicks can’t offer much of a supporting cast right now, but will have extra cap room in 2011 when Eddy Curry and Jared Jeffries come off the payroll.

The Nets could be a player, considering James’ close friend Jay-Z is a part-owner. They also have good young players in Devin Harris, Brook Lopez and Courtney Lee. The proposed Brooklyn arena, though, isn’t even under construction yet.

By signing Anthony Parker and Jamario Moon this summer, the Cavaliers seemed to give up on the idea of having enough cap room next summer to chase a free agent that can complement James. They’ll probably have to use the expiring contracts of Zydrunas Ilgauskas or Shaquille O’Neal to make a significant move at the trade deadline.

I suppose the Bulls could become a candidate to sign James next year, if he’s intent on hitting a big market. For now, it appears the Bulls’ dream scenario is to add Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. How? Well, it’s conceivable they could sign Wade outright and do a sign-and-trade for Bosh, offering Kirk Hinrich, John Salmons, Tyrus Thomas and a signed, game-worn Michael Jordan jersey. Maybe it’s far-fetched, but it doesn’t hurt to dream big.