First things first.

The round of speculation that has LeBron James possibly signing with the Heat next summer is only the current direction this discussion is going. Next week it'll be different. The week after that it'll change again, and so on until the 2010 free agency period actually arrives, by which time every possibility will have been discussed at least once, including the idea of James signing with Sacramento under the condition that the team adds an apostrophe to make them the King's.

But, while LBJ-to-Miami is all the rage, and while he happens to be coming to town this week for a Thursday throwdown, let's consider the possibility.

Initially, the thought of a James-Dwyane Wade pairing seems unreasonable when you consider that neither would appear willing to play a supporting role, as well as unfair when you consider that no other team in the league would even stand a chance at competing when two of the league's top three forces have unified their powers.

As fun as domination sounds sometimes, isn't competition what makes these games fun to watch?

SOME THOUGHTS

Let's think about this for a second, though.

Yes, it's probably true that both James and Wade badly want to be the main man on their respective teams and be surrounded by complementary talent that wins them a championship.

But it's also true that both James and Wade think big. They think about image. They think about legacy. They want to be great, and they want to be remembered for accomplishing great things.

If they team up and start collecting championship rings like trading cards, dominating the league for a decade and winning more titles than Michael Jordan ever did and possibly even reaching Bill Russell numbers, wouldn't that be so much more memorable than winning a championship or two on their own?

Think about the impact this would have.

Together, they could go down as the most dominating force this league has seen. In the big picture, isn't that exactly what they play for?

In 20 years, would Wade and James prefer to wake up knowing they were good enough to be the primary option on a team that won a title, or would they prefer to know they were part of the best team this sport has seen?

Because, let's face it, if you put these two together it would be exactly that. Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen wouldn't even compare.

And you can only imagine the players who would be dying to play alongside those two.

James already has begun talking about his desire to play next to another great player. That thought flies in the face of the idea that he wants to carry a team by himself.

THINKING BIG

Most people automatically assume he would prefer a very good player, but no one that rivals his star power or ability -- essentially his version of Pau Gasol.

But why stop there? Why not think bigger, putting ego aside to not only guarantee multiple rings but create the most entertaining spectacle in sports.

If you think about it, it's not any different than Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal playing together, or twin towers like Tim Duncan and David Robinson teaming up.

Bryant and O'Neal were arguably two of the three best players in the league when they were winning three trophies in a row. And Duncan and Robinson created a frontcourt duo unlike any other in the league at the time. So what's so unthinkable about Wade and James teaming up?

It just so happens that they play similar games, and ideally the same position, so practical thought places Chris Bosh or Amare Stoudemire as the ideal teammate.

But the way the NBA is evolving, a pair of unstoppable perimeter forces can be even more dominant than a couple of big men or an inside-outside combination.

Pat Riley doesn't mind thinking big. As much as he likes the idea of pairing Wade with a dominant big man, he'd probably prefer teaming him with the most intimidating force in the league -- even if he happens to be in a small forward's body.

Riley recently implied in a radio interview that he won't limit himself when it comes to free agent shopping, figuring he can convince just about anyone to sign with his team.

If James is a forward thinker -- someone who will get over the idea that he failed in Cleveland because he didn't win a title and instead consider the abundance of riches that lie ahead with Wade as a teammate -- then he will absolutely consider signing in Miami.

Even if this is just the latest round of LeBuzz, it doesn't mean you can't consider the possibilities.

And this possibility happens to be an unparalleled one.

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