NBA

Handicapping the LeBron hunt

Team: Knicks

Odds: 7-1

CAP SPACE: $34.1 million

CURRENT STATE: Same as 8 of the last 9 years, a playoffs-less mess.

WHY HE’LL SIGN: It’s New York. ’Nuff said. He’s on record about how this is his favorite city. He loves the Yanks (CC Sabathia is a BFF). This is the biggest stage with the opportunities for him to reach his desired billionaire status.

WHY HE WON’T: If a championship is his immediate goal, why come here? Have to figure he hasn’t been pining to line up alongside Eddy Curry. If the Knicks do land him, and their chances increased with the Cavs’ early exit, they have to get another max guy like Chris Bosh or he is right back where he was: a superstar on a bad team. There are some pieces in place — Danilo Gallinari, Wilson Chandler — but not enough. Yet.

VIDEO: ‘PLEASE STAY LEBRON’

Team: Bulls

Odds: 8-1

CAP SPACE: $21.4 million

CURRENT STATE: Looking for a coach, so LBJ could have a say. Made the playoffs, got bounced by LeBron but have good young talent.

WHY HE’LL SIGN: It’s the Second City. Fellow named Jordan proved you can be bigger than life here. The Bulls have superb young talent, led by Derrick Rose. Add in improving Joakim Noah, Luol Deng and Taj Gibson and the lure is attractive. Coach John Calipari could land here, too.

WHY HE WON’T: It’s the Second City. Fellow named Jordan never will be overshadowed here. Yes, it is years removed from MJ, but whoever wanted to follow Sinatra or Springsteen or in this case, Jordan? A dozen years won’t make folks forget. And even if LeBron won seven titles here, he never would be Jordan.

Team: Heat

Odds: 18-1

CAP SPACE: $24.4 million

CURRENT STATE: There’s Dwyane Wade and a couple of nice complimentary pieces.

WHY HE’LL SIGN: Dwyane Wade. Figure Wade stays and there is your biggest lure, two max players. That could even rev up Pat Riley’s coaching juices again. The Miami lifestyle — complete with sun, sand and a friendly state income tax (like none, how much friendlier can you get?) — doesn’t hurt. Can you say, “Leggy supermodels”?

WHY HE WON’T: Dwyane Wade. LeBron wants to be the iconic figure wherever he is, and guess what? Miami already has one. Plus, the pieces surrounding the two are not overly attractive. Are two studs enough to win? Sort of like Knicks south.

Team: Nets

Odds: 20-1

CAP SPACE: $26 million

CURRENT STATE: Coming off a season of Biblical disaster, 12 wins. But has a future as bright as any team.

WHY HE’LL SIGN: The Nets chances actually could be better than Miami’s. There is a lot in play here, including the Brooklyn move and Russian owner Mikhail Prokhorov, who has been known to drop a few quid on luxuries for players. Should the Nets get the No. 1 or 2 pick, they will have the most attractive young cast. He has the Jay-Z friendship, too.

WHY HE WON’T: He’s not going to Newark for two (probably three) years. And whether they are in Brooklyn or Newark, the Nets always will be second-fiddle to the Knicks.

Team: Clippers

Odds: 50-1

CAP SPACE: $17.8 million

CURRENT STATE: Still the jinxed Clippers. Got Blake Griffin. Blake Griffin got hurt. But there is a core. Surprise! They’re in the lottery again.

WHY HE’LL SIGN: There is a nice young core of talent here and the market is big enough for even LeBron. The L.A. lifestyle always is a big, big draw.

WHY HE WON’T: When he settles in at his Staples Center space, he’ll realize he’s in the locker room of the Clippers, not the Lakers. The town’s superstar pecking order already is established: Kobe, Jack Nicholson, the Kardashians . . .

Team: Cavaliers

Odds: Even

CAP SPACE: He’s their own free agent so they can offer more than anybody else with an extra year, worth roughly $30 million over the length of the contract.

CURRENT STATE: They’re getting older. Took a decided step back by failing to make the conference finals.

WHY HE’LL SIGN: If he has anything resembling a conscience, he stays, figure short term, and tries to win a title here. But he’ll only consider it with a different coach. Maybe John Calipari makes this his latest zip code. Cavs have kissed LeBron’s butt every step and won’t stop now. Plus, they can pay him $30 million more than everybody else and it’s still “home” — 50 miles from Akron.

WHY HE WON’T: For the first time, critics are pointing at him and not the supporting cast, the coach, the GM, the building, the lighting, the Metro schedule, the failure of the Browns. He couldn’t get out of the second round. While James caught heat, the team overall has flaw after flaw.