For the National Basketball Association this July promises to be an epochal period in their history. There are just so many tantalizing scenarios to consider, too many what-if exercises. Although Lebron James is without a doubt the biggest figure in this entire scenario, this summer is about so much more than where the greatest free agent of all time will play his most productive years.

Think about it: Wherever James goes – and there is no guarantee he will even leave Cleveland at all – there are just too many other talented players out there who might have different addresses by this November. There are just too many teams with a lot of money to spend; some of them are even willing to go over such niggling hurdles as the salary cap and the luxury tax. They may not win the so-called Lebron James Sweepstakes, but there are plenty of deals to be made out there. These other deals might prove to be more pivotal than landing the self-proclaimed King.

Guys the caliber of Chris Bosh or Joe Johnson or even Paul Pierce and Dirk Nowitzki might all wind up in the same uniform, like say in New Jersey, or perhaps even Chicago or Miami. Heaven help the rest of the league if any or a combination of these guys should ever decide they’d take the league minimum for a chance to win a Three-Peat with Kobe Bryant and the Lakers; with or without Phil Jackson.

Therefore, James might be getting the most ink, virtual and actual, but other movements might prove to be more pivotal in shaping the NBA in the next decade. Surely no one thought that much of it when Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen went to Boston to join Paul Pierce and Doc Rivers a couple of years ago. The same can be said just a few years prior to this about getting Richard Hamilton, Chauncey Billups, Tayshaun Prince, Rasheed Wallace and Ben Wallace all together in Detroit under Larry Brown. Both of these teams went on to win the NBA Title against a highly favored Lakers side.

Keeping that in mind, where James goes suddenly does not seem as important as where everybody else is going. At this time, it is more certain that Dwayne Wade will stay in Miami. He might be able to convince at least one of the other top tier free agents not named Lebron to join him there. Wade running pick and rolls with Amare Stoudemire and/or Chris Bosh would be a nightmare for the rest of the league. Imagine them if they were out in transition: Wade as the anchor, Stoudemire the finisher, Bosh the trailer.

How about Carlos Boozer and Joe Johnson getting a clue, agreeing to go to Chicago, and playing alongside the young duo of Derrick Rose, Luol Deng and Joakim Noah. Even if that combination isn’t enough to get out of the East, they will most certainly make getting out the East equally tough for any other team.

And then there are the Lakers, just come from defending their title against the Celtics. Yes, Bryant reminded no one of Michael Jordan in this latest title run. Bryant was struggling against these Celtics, and in spite of what anyone else may think he certainly did not trust them as much as Jordan did his teams. But they are poised to win another title, the second Three-Peat in the Bryant Era. Having just one more superstar, preferably a legit post presence, even for just this one title drive will assure the balance of power remains on the Pacific side.

If a Bosh or even a Boozer were to come over, Jackson will most certainly not waiver about returning to take a crack at that second Three-Peat. Mitch Kupchak would have to be given a bronze statue of himself if he pulls this off. Imagine how much better Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum will be if they had Boozer up front with them. They’d bludgeon the rest of the league with post and corner pick-and-roll plays. Try stopping a quick 6-foot-9 260-pound power forward rolling off a screen from a 7-foot 285-pound center, and a 7-foot 255-pound forward-center waiting to clean up.

Even if James does stay in Cleveland there are just too many questions about what other personnel moves the Cavaliers themselves might make. Maverick Carter, a long-time James crony, has the run of the Cavaliers organization. He might be making some deals here and there. Now that Chris Paul has not been declared untouchable in Charlotte, that could be yet another scenario worth exploring by Team Lebron. They might even be able to entice David Lee out of New York. Imagine having James, Lee and Paul on the floor. Suddenly this is a team that could win a lot of titles together over several years.

In any event, the Cavaliers better not be looking just to keep James, but to be more serious about who surrounds him. Shaquille O’Neal has four championship rings and was still of little help to James. Who else is out there? Who could they realistically bring in? James is going for the smart play and going to where the money, fame and greater opportunities are. But for someone like him, there will never be a replacement for that championship trophy. He knows he cannot get it all alone, He needs help, and wherever he goes they have to get that help for him.

The rest of the NBA certainly will not just be watching and waiting as others have suggested. Intelligent organizations who know how to win will move regardless of what James and his cronies do. Bryant and Los Angeles offers anybody willing to take a pay cut a championship destination, not just a championship contender. Miami has youth, star power, a heck of a location, and the possibility of having Pat Riley returning to coaching. Mark Cuban and Mikhail Prokhorov have more money than God and do not even blink at throwing it at expensive stuff like NBA superstars.

Depending on how much money changes hands and how much ink is put down on paper, there is more to this July than the so-called Summer of Lebron.