If Cleveland Loses, So Does Miami?

There has been some rumor going around regarding the series between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Orlando Magic and how it relates to the Miami Heat. Some say if Cleveland loses it's a bad thing for Miami, hinting at an eventual departure of LeBron James and a follow-up by Dwyane Wade. Others say that Heat fans should root for an Orlando victory, except this time they see a King James departure as good for the Heat (i.e. Cleveland would be a dismantled Eastern Conference contender).

So is a Cleveland loss a good thing or a bad thing? How about we let the series finish before we go ahead and start some rumors.

Whether LeBron stays or goes is up in the air and we all know it. Many just want him to leave for the sake of creating drama and theater in the NBA. They believe that he is the first domino to fall in a series of NBA stars that will tag along and switch jerseys. I'm not about to go that far and assume such things.

Pat Riley is set on signing Dwyane Wade to an extension this off season in order to secure the franchise's future. Wade has made statements regarding his current contract and how he enjoys having the flexibility of deciding whether to stay or go. That may be troubling to hear for Heat fans, but he reassured that it does not mean he is leaning towards packing up and shipping out. In reality, it's probably just a leverage manuever where Wade and his agent can look at the best offers available instead of binding him to another multi-year contract.

The final results of this year's Eastern Conference Finals may have free agency and trade implications, but none of which most of us will be able to foresee. We only know that on the Cavaliers end they have some role players in their contract year and the same goes for Orlando. We can only wait and see what each team deems as a necessary re-signing or a disposable contract.

As for now, why don't we sit back and watch the NBA playoffs and talk about what they mean to the Miami Heat later. I'm already grabbing my popcorn for the surprisingly close series that is Cleveland and Orlando and the smashmouth duel between Los Angeles and Denver. So, let's turn off the typewriters (what's that?) and turn on the tube (ancient term for television).