Even if King James doesn’t end up in New York next year, the Knicks could find themselves in prime position to make a run in 2010-11.
While everyone is fussing over LeBron James’ future, the other marquee free agent on the market indicated that the Big Apple may be a perfect fit for him.
Dwyane Wade spent Friday morning humoring a Knicks pitch, and while — much like James — he’s not exactly divulging his future plans, he did admit that New York’s proposal was an "intriguing" one.
"It was a good meeting, a real good meeting," Wade told ESPN.com. "I will say I’m intrigued."
Intrigued could mean curious. It could mean seriously interested. Nobody knows but Wade, and while his comment does sound promising, New York fans can’t get their hopes up quite yet. Up until this point, the majority of pundits believe Wade plans to sit tight in Miami.
"Do I want to leave [Miami]? Nope," Wade told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel in June. "I want to be in Miami. That’s where it all starts."
Not only has Wade publicly said he’d like to stay in Miami, but if you want to talk about intriguing, the Heat could be the best bet. For one, Florida is a no-income-tax state, which could make Wade’s bank account very happy. Aside from that, the Heat seem to be making a concerted effort to not only lure Wade back to Miami, but also reel in James — and possibly Chris Bosh.
A dynasty featuring that three-headed monster is definitely intriguing, to say the least.
But then there’s the lure of playing in New York and possibly restoring the Knicks to NBA supremacy — plus a hefty payday.
Following the Friday meeting, which lasted two hours and 15 minutes, Forbes reported that the Knicks claimed Wade can expect to earn as much as $425 million if he chooses the Knicks. The team brass reportedly told LeBron he’d make close to a billion if he chose New York, taking into account the market, the media reach and the fan base.
Forbes also reported that if Wade chooses to stay with Miami, he could expect to earn about $330 million, while if he chooses the Bulls, his target should be about $340 million.
There’s plenty of intrigue, all the way around. There’s the possibility of building a dynasty in Miami; there’s the possibility of making an unheralded amount of money in New York.
All of the options are bound to be intriguing for Wade; now, it’s just a matter of which trumps all the rest.
