The LeBron James sweepstakes have turned into a league-wide guessing game, but the New York Knicks may be sitting this one out.
Rich Paul, James’ long-time agent, reportedly told Brian Windhorst that 27 teams have reached out about the star forward. That leaves one team out of the mix, and if you follow the clues laid out in the reporting, the Knicks look like a strong candidate to be the one on the outside.
That tracks with where New York is right now. The Knicks have just come off an NBA Championship run, and there’s no obvious reason to start tinkering with a group that already has the right chemistry. James would bring a massive offensive load with him, and that kind of high-usage presence could change the balance of what’s working in New York.
The logic doesn’t stop there. The Oklahoma City Thunder also fit the profile of a team that could simply decide not to get involved. OKC won a championship two years ago, reached Game 7 of the Western Conference finals this year, and has finances that make a James pursuit less appealing.
The San Antonio Spurs were also mentioned as a team that might be able to shut the door on the idea, thanks to their elite young core. The concern there is simple: adding James could interfere with the growth of a group that has already shown it can win at a high level.
But Windhorst said there has been at least some conversation between the Spurs and Paul, which suggests San Antonio is probably among the 27 teams that have checked in. That leaves the Knicks and the Thunder as the two logical teams that may not have made contact.
And if you’re counting why the number is 27 instead of 28, James has already said he’s not returning to the Lakers.
Put it all together, and the Knicks look like one of the teams that hasn’t reached out about James this summer.
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