LeBron James nearly had a very different landing spot this summer.
The Philadelphia 76ers ended up winning the sweepstakes, but according to reporting from The Athletic’s Jon Krawczynski, Minnesota was a real possibility if Philadelphia had not made the move for Jaylen Brown. That trade, Krawczynski said, changed the picture for James and pushed him toward the 76ers.
“There's a very good chance that if they don't make that trade, LeBron James is in Minnesota this year, and not Philadelphia,” Krawczynski said. “I do think that LeBron made the decision to go to Philadelphia because of the basketball fit, and the chance to win a championship. If Jaylen Brown is not in Philadelphia, I think that there's a real possibility that LeBron looks at Minnesota as the next-best team for him to be competitive and try to win a championship.”
Instead, James chose Philadelphia for what ESPN’s Dave McMenamin reported as his final run at another NBA championship. McMenamin wrote that James, 41, is signing a two-year, $8 million contract with a player option, according to Klutch Sports Group CEO Rich Paul.
The 76ers had been aggressive in their pursuit of James, and in the end they landed him. The decision appears to have come down to fit, with Brown giving Philadelphia the kind of setup James wanted as he tries to maximize the last two years of his career.
Minnesota, though, was right there. The Timberwolves’ roster changed quickly when ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk reported that the Charlotte Hornets were sending LaMelo Ball and Josh Green to Minnesota for Naz Reid and a package of picks. That deal included a 2033 unprotected first-round pick, three second-round picks in 2029, 2032 and 2033, plus first-round pick swaps in 2028, 2029 and 2030.
It’s a striking what-if: James alongside Anthony Edwards and LaMelo Ball would have been a major threat. But that path never happened. James is in Philadelphia now, and the 76ers are expected to be a force of their own.
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For the Timberwolves, that opens a more believable path back into the chase at the top of the West, especially after their own roster changes this summer. Minnesota still needs a few things to break right to turn that opening into a real threat, including younger pieces becoming steady rotation options, but the door is no longer closed the way it looked in May. [Read more 🡒]