I'd suggest whomever added that information to the Wikipedia article was simply basing it on popular speculation. I would also suggest there are more candidates than that to make the cover (or were, if a decision has already been made and is forthcoming).
How lucrative do deals like that have the potential to be though? Any player who's approached to appear on the cover probably realises the deal is going to be pretty modest next to their NBA contract or shoe deal.
Perhaps...or maybe he could be holding out for a title game named after himself that would definitly be lucrative considering the current video gaming market. I remember kobe bryant having pretty much his own basketball game back in the late 90's for the N64
...other examples would be magic vs. bird by EA, barkley's shut up and jam and ofcourse..shaq fu (which i enjoyed btw).
A big fan of the emerald hue and much higher state of being/ Yohance "thug" Bailey on the scene...now known as Big Green/
True, that would probably be more lucrative for him.
I picked LeBron when the topic came up in NBA Live General a while back but I still think the suggestion of Kevin Durant being the cover player is a good one too. He's had a past association with EA having appeared on the March Madness cover and in the NBA Live 08 commercials with Arenas. Like Carmelo Anthony, he might "graduate" to the Live cover this year.