44 days and counting.

For NBA teams with cap space and hopes for a championship, July 1st can’t come soon enough. With July comes the most anticipated free agency in NBA history, as the greatest athlete the sport has ever seen, Lebron James, comes on the market. Other notable free agents include Chris Bosh, Joe Johnson, Ray Allen, Shaquille O’Neal, Dwayne Wade, Carlos Boozer, and Eddy Curry (just kidding on that last one, he’s hardly notable). But even with those big names, Lebron is still the gem.

So far, the favorites to nab “The King” are Cleveland, Chicago, New York, New Jersey, and the Los Angeles Clippers, which apparently is an NBA team as well. His decision will come down to what he sees as the most important factor in this search.

If he is looking solely to win championships, then Chicago or Cleveland would be the obvious favorites. Chicago is a notoriously supportive sports city, the franchise is steeped in tradition, and with young players like Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah, and Luol Deng returning, there is a realistic chance to win multiple rings in the future.

Cleveland, on the other hand, has always been home for Lebron. He grew up in Akron and won state championships there in high school. He has also been quoted as saying that if he had gone to college he likely would have attended the University of Akron. So we can assume he is loyal. But does the lure of championships overwhelm that loyalty? The Cavs have seemingly had Championship-ready teams the past two seasons, but have faltered. The players are there, but for some reason it just hasn’t quite clicked. Whether the city of Cleveland is cursed or the Cavs just haven’t gotten the right bounces is irrelevant. The fact is that if Lebron has lost faith in Cleveland, then the face of the city could soon leave town.

Then there comes the issue of Lebron’s future head coach. He will undoubtedly have leverage with whatever team he goes to, and if he really wants to have a say in who mans the clipboard that would make Chicago, Cleveland, New Jersey, or the LA Clippers serious contenders. All those teams have possible coaching vacancies, and Lebron has already been rumored to have a strong friendship with University of Kentucky coach John Calipari. A package deal, perhaps? It’s too early to determine that, but it is likely that the person drawing up the x’s and o’s could be a major factor in James’ final decision.

If I had to guess right now, I’d say King James will end up in either Cleveland or Chicago. But my guess this early in the summer is about as valuable as the American dollar during the Great Depression. For now, all NBA GMs ca do is twiddle their thumbs and wait. Let the Lebronathon Begin.