As LeBron James’ ongoing free agency drags out the offseason, the Minnesota Timberwolves can just sit back and hope.
The Wolves have been mentioned among the top suitors for James for weeks, but they have received zero indication that the 22-time All-Star is going to choose them. But no team in the LeBron-a-Thon has been given any clue of what James will choose to do.
James’ agent, Rich Paul, has often pumped the brakes on all the excitement, asking fans and media to stay patient with James as he goes through perhaps the last big decision-making process of his legendary career. Paul reiterated Tuesday that neither he nor James knows what lies ahead for the league’s all time leading scorer.
The Timberwolves: a True Suitor for LeBron James?
GettyMINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA – APRIL 27: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers celebrates drawing a foul against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the third quarter of Game Four of the First Round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Target Center on April 27, 2025 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Timberwolves defeated the Lakers 116-113 to take a 3-1 series lead. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)
Minnesota was aggressive in recruiting James from nearly the moment he informed the Los Angeles Lakers he wasn’t going to return for the 2026-27 season. But those efforts may not lead to the desired results after all.
Reporting on SportsCenter, NBA insider Dave McMenamin mentioned some familiar names in the James sweepstakes, with one noticeable omission.
“Miami, Philadelphia and Cleveland, and then the Golden State Warriors. No one’s ever eliminated (the Warriors) from contention in the conversations I had,” McMenamin said. (h/t @ohnohedidnt on X)
There it is. No Wolves.
McMenamin is as plugged into the NBA as one can get. He may not know where James will play next season, but if he makes no mention of the Wolves, that could mean they have dropped on James’ wishlist as he gets closer to making a decision.
Can the Wolves, or any team, boost their standing in the race to James in any way? They can try. But Paul said he has told teams James already has all the information he needs to make a decision.
“There’s been several people to call and say, ‘Hey, Rich, is there anything more we should be doing? We could be doing?’ ” Paul said on his “Game Over” podcast with Max Kellerman. “And my answer is, ‘No. We don’t need you to go above and beyond about anything. We understand it. It’s clear. All the messages have been sent.’”
Minnesota Knew Landing LeBron Was a Long Shot to Begin With
GettyLeBron James battles Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert during a game between the Los Angeles Lakers and Minnesota Timberwolves. Minnesota remains among the teams hoping to convince James to spend the final years of his NBA career in the Twin Cities.
Still, it never hurts to try.
According to The Athletic, the Wolves attempted to pitch James on the idea that Minnesota gives him his best chance to win a fifth championship and another opportunity to strengthen his case as the greatest player ever, all while playing a brand of basketball that he would enjoy after having to settle as the Lakers’ third scoring option last season.
Even as the Wolves made a pitch, perhaps they still felt that it would take convincing until the end of time to get James to choose Minnesota as the place he would cap off his decorated career.
There’s a lot to like about Minnesota. But watching The Kid From Akron end his career there just isn’t one of them.
Timberwolves’ Get Major LeBron James Decision Update From Top ESPN Insider