Will the New York Knicks shock the world and sign LeBron James in free agency? Don't count on it.
Marc Stein and Jake Fischer reported Thursday that New York has "shown some interest" in signing James this offseason. The 41-year-old's agent, Rich Paul, said the odds of him joining the Knicks would've skyrocketed had they lost to the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals.
"If the Knicks hadn’t won, there would be no board," Paul said. "He’d be going to the Knicks."
Around the same time Paul made those remarks, SNY insider Ian Begley reported that James shouldn't be viewed as a top target for the Knicks at this time.
"I gathered that the Knicks should not be seen as a potential destination for James," Begley wrote. "The Knicks are very happy with the core of their roster coming off the 2026 NBA title."
© Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images.
So what does LeBron James want?
NBA reporter Nick Friedell claims the sweepstakes for James are down to the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors. Apparently, the league's all-time leading scorer is looking for "basketball happiness" at this stage in his career.
“LeBron is looking for basketball happiness at the end,” Friedell said, via the New York Post. “There’s no better place to do that than here, flatly. He’s got a chemistry with Steph. He knows Draymond for all these years. He knows what Steve Kerr’s all about. They lived it and won a gold medal together in Paris at the Olympics. The Warriors, on top of all that, and I think this has gotten lost in the shuffle. They let their players be who they are. Look at Jimmy Butler.”
Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints believes James will wait until Summer League begins to announce his plans. If that's true, fans should prepare for another week of speculation.
