CLEVELAND -- Everyone in the NBA wants to know where LeBron James will be playing next season, including new Cleveland Cavaliers teammate Shaquille O’Neal.

It was the primary subject prior to Thursday's nationally televised game and took center stage again after an excruciating one-point loss to the Chicago Bulls at Quicken Loans Arena.

"I’ll give you $5 million (for the answer)," O’Neal said to James, who passed on the offer. "How about $10 million in a bag delivered to your house?"

While O’Neal was presumably joking, the subject of James’ future is no laughing matter - either in Cleveland or in his nearby hometown of Akron, Ohio.

Unfortunately for Cavaliers fans, that subject will be raised early and often tonight, when Cleveland makes its only 2009-2010 visit to Madison Square Garden to play the New York Knicks.

ESPN will be on hand to breathlessly document James’ arrival, as well as each second of his stay at the outdated and obsolete "World’s Most Famous Arena." Add the New York tabloids, and it will be a circus rivaling Ringling Bros. 

Long-suffering Knicks fans also will do their best to woo the reigning NBA MVP by cheering his every move, just as they did last season when he torched the home team for 52 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists in a memorable February 4 performance.

The incredible hype is enough to make most sane people say "enough." 

James, however, said he relishes the chance to play in that environment, which can’t be good news for his current employer.

"That’s a great city. It’s the mecca of basketball," James said after his game-ending turnover dealt the Cavs their second home loss, matching last season's total. "Like I’ve said before, I look forward to every time I go to the Garden. It’s gonna be fun, and we look forward to the challenge." 

Actually, beating New York isn’t much of a challenge at all. The Knicks are nearing a full decade as one of the league’s biggest losers - both on and off the court - and stopped being a relevant NBA franchise around the turn of the century.

Yet on July 1, 2010, when James becomes an unrestricted free agent for the first time in his career, Knicks general manager Donnie Walsh is expected to be the first person to woo him.

"You guys make it bigger than it is," James said. "When that day comes, I will approach it the right way.

"I’m going to approach it like a businessman and approach it the best way that fits LeBron and his family, but I’ve been a Cav for seven years now and I’ve never given any indication of leaving." 

No, James hasn’t.

But given the inferiority complex that Northeast Ohio has, it is  understandable why everyone from Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert to the guy who tends bar down the street are panicked at the thought of losing the 24-year-old superstar to a more glamorous market.

Fortunately, the NBA has a salary cap system that rewards elite players for staying put.

The Cavaliers can give James a package worth approximately $125.5 million over six years, while the most the Knicks, Nets, Heat or anyone else could offer him next summer is $96.1 million over five seasons.

Considering James has often said his goal is to be the first billionaire athlete, money clearly matters. But it will take a lot more than O’Neal’s eight-figure overture to get him to reveal his plans.

"For me to say, ‘I’m not going to be a Knick. I’m going to be a Cav’ or ‘I’m not going to be a Cav, I’m going to be a Knick,’ I’m not going to do that right now," James said calmly. "July 1 is right around the corner, so it’s going to be really exciting." 

Prior to that is the small matter of tonight's game in the Garden, the rest of the regular season and the playoffs. Hopefully, they will be exciting, too. 

"I’m looking forward to winning an NBA championship here, but this is going to be a long season," James said. "I know what my job is at hand (tonight), and it’s doing my best to get us a win on the road. Then I’ll come back home after the game."

If home is truly where James’ heart is, then that last statement speaks volumes. If not, then his bags are probably already packed.

The countdown has officially begun.

Brian Dulik has regularly covered the NBA since 1996 and is a frequent contributor to Pro Basketball News. He can be reached at brisports@hotmail.com