Another free agency suitor for LeBron James has suddenly emerged this weekend.
According to Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic, the Minnesota Timberwolves are "ramping up" their push for James. They're hoping to pitch him on the idea of leading the franchise to its first NBA championship.
It certainly helps Minnesota's case that James would join a roster that already has proven playmakers in Anthony Edwards, LaMelo Ball, Jaden McDaniels and Rudy Gobert.
"The Wolves firmly believe they have the best situation for the 41-year-old James as he prepares for his 24th season. They have a core headlined by Edwards, Ball and McDaniels that can take a lot of the offensive pressure off James’ shoulders. They have McDaniels and Gobert to help ease James’ workload on defense, as well," Krawczynski wrote. "Most importantly, they have a story for James to tell. Unlike several of the other options on the table for him, including the Golden State Warriors, Miami Heat and James’ hometown Cleveland Cavaliers, the Timberwolves have never won a championship."
Edwards could easily shoulder the load as the No. 1 scoring option for the Timberwolves (28.8 points per game during the 2025-26 season), which would take most of the pressure off James until the playoffs arrive. When it comes to Minnesota's defense, McDaniels and Gobert have proven they're All-NBA on that side of the floor.
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The race for LeBron is heating up.
If the Timberwolves truly want James, they'll have to beat out at least five other suitors.
ESPN insider Shams Charania has already mentioned the Cleveland Cavaliers, Golden State Warriors, Miami Heat and Philadelphia 76ers as potential options for James. Brian Windhorst, meanwhile, mentioned the Denver Nuggets as an “outlier team” to watch in these sweepstakes.
A timeline for James' decision has not been revealed at this time. However, people believe he'll make an announcement before the Summer League begins in Las Vegas on July 9.
