Paul Jones

Paul Jones is the voice of the Raptors on the FAN 590 and writes regularly for Sportsnet.ca.

Chris Bosh attends a Lakers playoff game on May 4.

No doubt LeBron James is the big domino in free agency this summer but the others who are set to fall into place after his decision are starting to line up.

A report Friday by ESPN stated that Chris Bosh has given a list of teams to the Raptors that he would prefer to play for in the event Toronto is unable to re-sign him. Yes, Toronto is on the list but the other teams make it look like the idea of being in a major centre is more important than winning. If the list is accurate, and you can add the Nets as another team, Miami and Chicago were in the playoffs, although barely in the Bulls case, and New York and New Jersey didn't have a sniff of the post-season.

The other team on the list, and the only team that would qualify as a "winner", is the Los Angeles Lakers. And in the category of "where there's smoke there's fire", remember Bosh was spotted courtside at a Laker playoff game and sources have already fanned the flames on a Bosh for Andrew Bynum transaction at the trade deadline back in February. An added factor is that the Lakers are the only team in the group without cap space for next season possibly making them the front runner with a finals result determining who is available or on the market.

So what might sign and trade scenarios fetch for Toronto? Well, it depends on that guy LeBron because if any of those teams are on James list of destinations, Toronto may have to take "leftovers" once the James sign and trade transaction is done. But then again if you are Cleveland and James really wants to leave do you aid and abet him by doing a sign and trade or do you just say "see ya and don't let the door hit you on the way out?" You don't think James wants to walk away from extra money in a sign and trade scenario do you? But he may have no choice if he decides to leave Cleveland.

But don't run too fast with all these ideas as Bosh's agent Henry Thomas said last night said the reports were inaccurate and he had not spoken to the reporter or given a list to Toronto. Wonder if they have just spoken without preparing an "official list". Ok, so now what to believe? Are we dealing with semantics here?

True, Bosh and every other free agent will be tied in some way shape or form to the LeBron signing but in Bosh's case, didn't he say he saw himself as a number one guy, someone you build around? That would mean that he might be watching where LeBron signs and look for another team to sign with so he could call them his own. Yes, smile just a little bit Raptor fans, as there is still hope.

But James is still the centerpiece even though the playoff collapse in Cleveland raises some questions that teams will inevitably ask before committing to him. What exactly did happen in Cleveland's meltdown, losing three straight games to the Celtics to bow out of the playoffs? Who is exactly on James "team", what role will they have in his decision and what will their subsequent impact be when James does make a decision where he will sign?

Regardless of the answers to these questions, don't rule out the Clippers who will make a serious sales pitch to LeBron and the "money man" Mikhail Prokhorov, new owner of the New Jersey Nets has money. He has real money as I said before, the kind that folds and people carry in bags and briefcases for him. Money talks and that means Prokhorov will always have a voice and there is no question he has James in the cross hairs.

All I can say is stay tuned.

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Oh yeah, there are games this weekend, finally, and its bad news for the Orlando Magic and Phoenix Suns as in the history of the NBA there have only been 14 comebacks from 2-0 deficits. When a team wins the first two games it has a 94% success rate with an all time record of 217-14.