Does LeBron James want to play for the Brooklyn Nets?

Chris Broussard said on ESPN Radio Wednesday that the Nets are one of five teams LeBron James, now a free agent, would play for.

According to Broussard, who first broke the news that James was headed to South Beach, teams that James wants to play for are the Heat, Cavaliers, Rockets, Knicks and Nets.  No indication from Broussard if that list was in order or random.

The Nets of course would have a difficult if not impossible task in getting James. The first problem is that they have no cap space and because they are so far over the luxury tax threshold, they can't accept a player in a sign-and-trade this year unless they can somehow get under the threshold. Moreover, they have no first round picks they can trade until 2020 to sweeten a deal.

As Broussard writes,

The Nets would have just as much trouble as the Knicks clearing the cap space to land James. While they would perhaps have the pieces to appease Miami in a sign-and-trade, they'd first have to get beneath the luxury tax line to be eligible to take back players in a sign-and-trade.

That would mean moving Joe Johnson or Deron Williams (they'd prefer it be Williams), but with Williams' injuries and max contract, that will be incredibly difficult. If they somehow found a taker for Williams, the Nets could then offer up Brook Lopez to Miami in a sign-and-trade for James.

Like the Knicks' scenario, this is barely within the realm of possibility.

Still, it's good to hear that the game's best player has the Nets on his short list.

• NBA - Possible landing spots for LeBron James - Chris Broussard - ESPN Insider
• Broussard: Nets in LeBron's Top 5 - Mike Mazzeo - ESPN New York
  
• Why LeBron isn't joining your team - Ben Golliver - Sports Illustrated
• Broussard: Nets, Knicks in LeBron's "Top 5" - Ben Nadeau - The Brooklyn Game