Add The California Post on Google While the LeBron James free agency sweepstakes is shaping up to be the biggest story in basketball for as long as it occurs this summer, reality is that only several teams are equipped to sign the arguably NBA GOAT.
James’ agent, Rich Paul, laid out 10 potential teams on his “Game Over” podcast with Max Kellerman. It appears that one of these teams is feeling confident it will be able to sign James.
This team is the Timberwolves. The Athletic’s Jon Krawczynski published a July 4 article that said Minnesota has “full belief” it is in the hunt to land James in free agency.
What’s more, Minnesota seems to believe it is uniquely suited to sign LeBron, as its “bold pitch,” according to Krawczynski, is that James winning a championship with Anthony Edwards, LaMelo Ball, Jaden McDaniels and Rudy Gobert would end the discussion about who is the true NBA GOAT. The Timberwolves are convinced that James signing with them would cement his status over Michael Jordan.
But the Timberwolves’ front office also has practical reasons for its belief. They think their core of young stars can take pressure off James on offense, and that McDaniels and Gobert will lessen James’ defensive load, keeping him fresh throughout the season.
They also want to sell James on bringing a championship to a franchise that has never won one. What’s more, Minnesota hasn’t had a champion in any of its major men’s sports franchises since the Twins won the 1991 World Series, and it thinks the prospect of bringing a championship to the state will entice James.
There’s no question that Minnesota makes sense for James on paper, and perhaps this unique pitch will compel him. But the bottom line is that he has plenty of suitors to choose from, and Minnesota might be a hard sell after spending the past eight years in Los Angeles.
