Much has been made of the 6-year contracts that can be offered by potential suitors versus Cleveland's ability to offer a 7-year max deal and a slightly higher amount.

It has also been well documented that LeBron loves his hometown and will be wary of leaving, knowing that upon his return the adulation he once received will have turned to venom from fans who feel they were betrayed.

This is what many believe is Cleveland's trump card. Even if they fail to win a championship, most believe that LeBron will stay rather than be labeled as the man who abandoned Cleveland for greener pastures.

What if he hedged his bet though? Is it far fetched to envision this scenario:

After a three week courtship, LeBron makes his move to New York. At the press conference he announces that this was "the hardest decision of his life." Cleveland fans watching on TV begin preparing their #23 jerseys for a massive bonfire. Then LeBron says, "I can't envision myself away from Cleveland forever and that's why I only signed a 4 year contract."

All of a sudden Cleveland fans put their lighter fluid down. You mean he may return, in only 4 years? Will he still be effective then? The answer is a resounding, "Hell yeah."

In 4 years, LeBron will be a seasoned 29 year old at the peak of his game. The reception in Cleveland may be chilly at first, but in the back of their minds, they'll know they better not turn on him entirely, otherwise he won't come home.

Will New York fans care? Absolutely not. In fact, if you had to ask anyone in the Knick front office if they would sign LeBron to 4 years of max money and it was guaranteed that he would leave in 4 years, they'd be ecstatic. Under this scenario, if New York wins a couple rings with LeBron and his new cast, he may even stay past those 4 years.

The only thing LeBron sacrifices by this course of action is guaranteed money in years five and six (and seven if he stayed in Cleveland). He's shown that he's not afraid to forgo long term security for the ability to negotiate another contract sooner when he chose negotiate a three-year contract extension in order to become a free agent this summer.

Some might even argue it actually works better for LeBron to renegotiate a max deal at the age of 29, then again at 35 rather than taking the full six year year deal now, then negotiating at 31 and have owners wary of signing a 37 year old to a six year maximum deal.

A 4 year deal allows LeBron to be loved by 2 cities. Even if he ends up being a 4 year rental for New York, it will be 4 years that will never be forgotten. While if he returns to Cleveland, they'll choose to remember only the Cleveland years and see the 4 year hiatus as a short fling that didn't mean a thing.

This summer LeBron will again think outside the box, as he did when negotiating his last extension, and surprise everyone by signing a 4 year deal to suit up at Madison Square Garden for a brief tour with an option to return home sooner than most expected.