Could the NBA world finally get what it perhaps has long dreamed of? Is LeBron James to the New York Knicks a growing possibility?
The Knicks are in full relax mode right now as they find themselves with a golden opportunity to make their first NBA Finals appearance in nearly 30 years.
But if they happen to fall short again, perhaps going out and grabbing James isn’t something as far-fetched as believed just a month ago.
The Knicks may want James if their season ends in disappointment. The 41-year-old James, with retirement again a possibility this offseason, may want the Knicks, too, if he decides to return for Year 24.
But what would it cost both parties in order to join forces?
According to CBS Sports’ Sam Quinn, James to the Knicks would require both sides to make major sacrifices.
“If he goes to Cleveland to pursue a fifth championship, he’d presumably want Jarrett Allen on the team to help him try to win. If he joins a team as old as the Warriors, he’s going to know how important preserving resources to add depth will be. And if he goes to the Knicks, he understands public relations well enough to understand he’d absolutely get blamed for things going south if he cost them any key players,” Quinn wrote on CBSSports.com. “
LeBron James Must Know What He’d Be Getting Himself Into
Quinn makes a fair point. An astute one at that.
If James packs his bags and heads back East to join the Knicks, it would generate a wave of excitement and intense anticipation. The game’s greatest marquee star on the hottest basketball stage. Who says no to that?
But if that experiment crumbles, the finger may get pointed at Jams, especially if the Knicks finish next season earlier than this season.
James, the oldest player in the NBA, is preparing to enter unrestricted free agency in July. The 2025-26 season was the first time in James’ length career that he played without a guaranteed contract or player-option for the following season.
Remaining a Laker is still very-much a possibility for James, but it’ll come at accepting a salary that could be as much as $30 or $40 million less than what he made this season.
And if he heads to New York, that difference is even greater.
“There’s no question about salary,” Quinn wrote. “The Knicks could only offer the minimum. They’re positioned to bolt beyond the second apron next season if they keep the team together. If they pursue a major trade, like for, say, Giannis Antetokounmpo, it would hard cap them at the second apron and force them to pinch pennies. Money won’t be a factor here.”
What Does This Say About the Four-Time MVP?
A lot has been said about James’ relationship with the Lakers over the last few weeks.
According to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, things have reached a point where James feels he has been taken for granted by the Lakers. If that feeling holds, there’s no saying where James will end up.
The Knicks have been tethered to James for almost his entire career. Ahead of James’ 2010 free agency decision, Knicks fans were almost sold that James would choose New York as his next destination, especially after he called it his favorite city.
The Knicks are clearly much more competent now than they were then,
They are preparing to enter Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals on a seven-game winning streak and all the momentum they could ask for.
If New York falls short of the NBA Finals, it could open the door for James to walk in.
LeBron James Hit With Strong Knicks Warning Ahead of Free Agency