In wake of the heralded 2010 free agent class, every rumor mill and basketball circle has been swirling with the same questions. Where will LeBron go? Will Wade head to Chicago? Who can give the best sign and trade for Bosh? As the official opening of free agency approaches (7/8/2010), Flavor Flav likely summed it up the best: Don’t Believe the Hype. Though the cries of “we just want to win a title” echo in every interview and press conference, it remains evident that the almighty dollar will ultimately win out.

We have already seen one major free agent officially taken off the market. Joe Johnson, the up and down star shooting guard of the Atlanta Hawks, signed six year, $119M deal. Highly coveted by teams who considered themselves a key player away from making a run at the title, Johnson could not afford to pass up on such a lucrative contract. Minor players who were thought to be readily available are gone as well. Rudy Gay re-upped with Memphis for $80M. Amir Johnson to Toronto at $34M. Channing Frye $30M. And the guy who had told multiple media outlets he believed his days in the NBA were numbered only months ago: Darko got $20M. If you want to play for money, your best option is to stay home.

The marquee free agents seem to be destined to a similar fate. With Cleveland owner Dan Gilbert publicly announcing he would not approve a LeBron sign and trade, he subconsciously announced that LeBron would have to take less money to play anywhere else. Dwyane Wade, struggling through a messy divorce and belonging to a team with no assets to trade, is a near lock to return to South Beach and star in a one man show. Chris Bosh is the only player of the “Free Agent Big Three” who could sport a new uni, due to the Toronto Raptors organization willingness to broker a sign and trade, pending getting back some quality players and hopefully unloading some undesirable contracts in the process. This all boils down to the fact that a longer contract means an extra $30M dollar by staying with your own team. Nobody, even a professional athlete, would pass up such an extravagant offer.

The officious From The 3s NBA free agent guesses:

LeBron: Cleveland

Wade: Miami

Bosh: Houston

Boozer: Miami

Amar’e: New York

Ray Allen: Boston

David Lee: New Jersey

Mike Miller: Cleveland

J.J. Redick: Orlando

Shaq: Atlanta

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