With the news of LeBron James not returning to the Los Angeles Lakers, multiple teams are gearing up to make a run at the all-time great. According to The Athletic's Sam Amick, the Minnesota Timberwolves are one of the teams interested in LeBron's services.
“What's more, the Warriors do not appear to have clarity yet regarding James' plans. Cleveland and Miami are often cited as realistic landing spots as well, and the Minnesota Timberwolves are known to have interest if he felt like shocking the basketball world with that sort of move," Amick wrote
LeBron James signing with the Timberwolves feels unlikely (for now)
Firstly, I do want to acknowledge that James would be an ideal fit with the Wolves. Minnesota sorely needs a power forward after trading Naz Reid and Julius Randle. LeBron's blend of passing and stellar scoring abilities makes him a top-25-level player despite his advanced age.
Given this glaring need, it makes a ton of sense for the Wolves to at least inquire about LeBron.
Nevertheless, James signing with the Wolves still feels like a long shot at best. Part of this is simply because, as currently constructed, the Wolves are $9.7 million under the second apron, with four open roster spots.
James will likely take a sizable pay cut, and it's worth noting that reporting from Shams Charania said that LeBron's decision will not be money-driven. Still, a pay cut this substantial seems unlikely, especially since he has no previous connection to Minnesota.
Plus, the way this was reported, it sounds like the Wolves are a dark-horse team. As fun as it sounds for LeBron to play alongside Anthony Edwards and LaMelo Ball in the Twin Cities, it's not a possibility that fans should be banking on.
Outside of the financial aspects of James going to Minnesota, it's hard to see him turn down a reunion with Cleveland or Miami. As for Golden State, which earlier this week seemed like the front-runner to sign James, pairing up with long-time friends Stephen Curry and Draymond Green makes sense to some extent. This possibility has also been speculated about for years.
Now, LeBron does have a ton of respect for Edwards. Additionally, from a pure basketball standpoint, few teams offer the same chance to compete for a championship that the Wolves do. Regardless, LeBron likely believes that the Cavs, Heat and Warriors are all suited to compete for a title with him in the mix.
At the end of the day, it's really difficult to imagine him swerving and shocking the world to sign with the Wolves, as interesting as it sounds. Surprises can happen, but for right now, LeBron signing with the Timberwolves would be a genuine shocker despite their reported interest.
