How Is LeBron James Affected by the NBA's New Salary Cap Figure?

The bad news about the salary cap made quite a splash. But not all of it was justified, especially when it comes to the future of Cleveland Cavaliers star LeBron James.In case you missed it, the 2009-2010 salary cap figure is $57.7 million, down from $58.68 million last year. The luxury tax level dropped even more, from $71.2 to $69.92 million.But the big news (and subsequent panic) was in the warning that it will go down even more for the 2010 season, with its free agent market featuring James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh.Speculation began immediately that this news hurts a team like the New York Knicks, which has been shedding long-term salaries to make room to possibly sign two big stars in that free-for-all summer of '10.It was also decided that this was the final straw that would keep LeBron James in a Cleveland Cavalier uniform. The assumption is that the Knicks (or any other suitor) now won't have enough salary room to sign both James and some quality help—whi...