Coming Back Together.

Ever since LeBron James and Chris Bosh joined forces with Dwyane Wade in the summer of 2010, it is without a doubt that the Miami Heat has been the most publicized, yet most accomplished team in professional sports over the past four years.

Since the 2011 NBA season, no team in professional sports has had a higher winning percentage than the Heat. They have acquired the best regular season record with 224-88, earned the second longest winning streak with 27 wins in a row, and have won 16 of the last 18 postseason series played.

All while having arguably the most dominating athlete in all of professional sports, LeBron James, who has added two more M.V.P. honors to his career accomplishments since joining the Heat.

And despite only wining two of its four straight NBA Finals appearances, the Heat has become the first team since the 84-87 Boston Celtics(who also won two of four) to appear in four straight NBA Finals winning the previous two.

It seem like the Heat’s reign over the NBA and the professional sport world could last over the next few years when they were headed into this year’s NBA Finals with hopes of becoming the first team since the 00-02 Los Angeles Lakers to win three straight titles in a row.   

However, Sunday night, the Heat could not do anything but watch in despair as their hopes of winning their third straight championship fell into the hands of the San Antonio Spurs.

Many people had predicted that the Spurs could dethrone the two-time defending champions in this finals rematch, but no one could foreshadow the Spurs’ dominating performance they showcased in five quick games.  

After the lost, two bitter and heartbroken Heat stars’ Dwyane Wade and LeBron James sat side by side in a press conference after game 5 as they reflected on what was a disappointing NBA Finals series, while reminiscing on the Heat’s Big 3 era.

“It has been a hell of a ride these past four years,” Dwyane Wade said. “We been successful in a sense of what we tried to accomplish, and we did. We would have loved to been 4-0 in the finals, but it was not meant to be.

In the midst of the dealing with another, yet unwanted feeling of losing in the finals, reality sat in that this could be the last time fans will see Bosh, James, and Wade playing together on the same team.

For the first time since 2010, the Heat is facing a summer full of uncertainties, and immediately the rumors of Miami breaking up their Big 3 began.

While there are countless of speculations about whether or not the Heat Big 3 will split up, breaking up the trio seems  unlikely to consider, for a team that has been nothing but fantastic over the past four years.

If the trio of Bosh, James, and Wade stay together, their best possible option would be opting out of the last year of their contracts, and resigning for less money.

This move would give the Heat more flexibility for improving their roster by adding young and talented NBA players like Toronto Raptors’ star point guard Kyle Lowry, and Houston Rockets’ forward Chandler Parsons.

If the Heat are able to add better players around Bosh, James, and Wade, it’s without a doubt that their return to glory is far from over.

The trio has until the June 29 to decide whether they will opt out the last year of their contract and becoming a free agent for the summer of 2014.

While there is a possibility that the Heat’s trio will break up, those changes are very unlikely to happen.

And much like the Spurs, who suffered their own heartbreaking lost in the finals  last year; the Heat will have one thing on their minds intended for next season………REDEMPTION.

  

Bring the Melo to H-Town

In 2012 the Houston Rockets received Six Man of the Year James Harden in a trade from the Oklahoma City Thunder. In 2013, the Rockets signed three times Defense Player of the Year Dwight Howard.

Now after declining young star Chandler Parsons' option, which will make him a restricted free agent this summer; the Rockets have made it very clear that they are on the hunt to acquire the 2013 NBA Scoring Champion Carmelo Anthony.

Since their disappointing first round exit to the Portland Trailblazers this post season, the Rockets have been in every off-season rumor possible as they try to acquire another all-star player in Houston.

From trades talks with the Boston Celtics for point guard Rajon Rondo, and even with Minnesota to trade for the unhappy timber wolf Kevin Love, clearly the Rockets are going all out to make their team better.   

However, according to multiple sources from around the league, the Rockets are willing to do everything in their power to get New York Knicks’ star Carmelo Anthony, even if signing him will come at a high price.  

Bringing Anthony to Houston is not an impossible task, but the deal would likely be done with a sign and trade with the Knicks. Which would mean, the Rockets would trade guard Jeremy Lin, center Omer Asik, and possibly some draft picks, but their biggest lost would be losing their third leading scorer, Chandler Parsons.  

By declining Parsons’ final year, it would give the Rockets more than enough money to sign Anthony. However, their biggest problem would not be whether or not they have enough money; it would be winning over other potential teams who are also on the hunt for Anthony like the Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Lakers, and even the Miami Heat.

This is not the first time the Rockets have tried to pursue Carmelo Anthony, he has been on the Rockets’ radar for some years now.

In 2008, the Rockets tried to trade, then all-star shooting guard Tracy McGrady to the Denver Nuggets in exchange for Anthony, but the trade failed, and in 2011 when Anthony was trying to force his way out of Denver, the Rockets for Carmelo talks started up once more, but again they failed.    

Without a doubt, if the Rockets are able to sign the 11 year veteran who has scored over 19,000 points in his career, teaming Anthony with Dwight Howard and James Harden would make the Rockets an unstoppable force on offense next season, but it would not help improve the Rockets most common problem, defense.

Whether it’s Chicago, New York, Miami or Houston, it is all speculations for now where Carmelo Anthony will continue his career. Anthony has yet to fully opt out his last year with the Knicks, and has until June 23 to do so. However, regardless of what other teams will say to Anthony, the best option for Melo would be the Rockets. 

After years of being denied when trying to acquire Anthony before, maybe for the Rockets a third time would be a charm.

   

New "Big 3" in Boston?

As the NBA edge closer to its most anticipated off-season, no team in the league has been in the rumor mill more than the Boston Celtics and how they are trying to form their own big 3 by adding one of the league’s most outstanding scorers, while trying to add a bit of love.

According to multiple sources around the league, the Celtics have become front-runner to require the unhappy all-star forward Kevin Love of the Minnesota Timberwolves.

This report comes just days after Love had been seen hanging out in Boston this past weekend. Doing Love’s unannounced trip, He ran into current Celtics all-star Rajon Rondo, who said in an ESPN interview Monday that he and Love only spoke to each other for about 39 second, and he did not make any sell pitch to recruit Love to Boston.

The Celtics are just one of a few teams that are on Love’s list for a possible destination to continue his NBA career. It’s without a doubt that if the Celtics can pull off a trade for Love, the move will put them in the mix with some of the top teams in the Eastern Conference, and a move to sign one of the top free agents this off-season, could make them even better.

Celtics also have their eyes set to sign all-star Carmelo Anthony in this summer’s free agency. Anthony, who had been traded to the Knick in 2011, will opt out his last year of his contract that will allow him to become a restricted free agent this summer.

Anthony said in an interview with ESPN, at this point in his career, he only cares about winning. So it seems like Anthony might make his next career move to a team which would give him the best chance of winning in the future.

If the Celtics are able to sign the 2013 NBA Scoring Champion, they would have to beat out some tough NBA contenders like the Chicago Bulls, Houston Rockets, and Los Angeles Clippers who are all hoping to lure Anthony away from the big apple.

If the Celtics are not able to make a move for Kevin Love, than the chances of them signing Anthony may become less likely. However, if the Celtics are able to trade for Love and sign Anthony this move would without a doubt make the Celtics true title contenders for years to come.

As of now the Celtics’ talks to bring all-stars Kevin Love and Carmelo Anthony to their franchise are all speculation at the moment, but it would be fun to see what moves the Celtics would make this off-season.

And if the Celtics are able to team Rajon Rondo with Kevin Love and Carmelo Anthony to create the NBA’s next Big 3 in Boston, then banner number 18 for Lucky the Leprechaun may come sooner than many expected.