Getty LeBron James defending Jalen Brunson.
The New York Knicks‘ biggest decisions of the past decade could come before the NBA’s February 8 trade deadline. As currently constructed, the Knicks have been one of the top teams in the NBA and have won nine out of their last 10 games. There is an argument that they are good enough to win with this current core, but if a move becomes available, they might want to jump on it.
Of the possible names that have been flirted around, Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James is the newest that Knicks fans are hoping for. James has tweeted about the Knicks, and put a team towel around his neck, among other things in the past week. It all could have been a coincidence, but it was a strange one before the deadline. Does he want to be in New York?
Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer proposed a crazy, fake trade that would send James to the Knicks. The deal would send James for Julius Randle, Evan Fournier, a 2024 1st, a 2025 1st, and a 2030 1st.
“I understand that some Knicks fans want to pursue a championship with the core as is. But if you can turn draft picks, a salary filler, and an injured player into LeBron Freaking James, you do it every single time. As good as the Knicks are, Jalen Brunson could still use another shot creator by his side to add more dynamism to the offense. This could become an issue if New York’s roster stays as is.”
LeBron James Has Flirted With Knicks Fans
James has been in the NBA longer than most NBA fans have been alive. It is safe to say that when he does something, he knows exactly what he is doing. Why would he tweet the emoji of the Statue of Liberty? Why would he throw that towel over his neck?
LeBron James was using the Knicks to put pressure on the Lakers, per @WindhorstESPN
“He was cognizant and aware that he was putting on a towel that said New York Knicks. Why would he mess with the Knicks? Because he was using the Knicks as a tool to pressure the Laker.”
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Perhaps LeBron is flirting with New York Knicks fans and seeing if they would want him. He could also be putting pressure on the Los Angeles Lakers front office, however. The Lakers have a massive trade deadline coming up and if they do not make moves, it would be tough to see them improve upon their 27-25 record.
O’Connor was intrigued by his actions, too.
“I couldn’t have anticipated that later that night, LeBron would post a telling hourglass emoji on X. Or that two days later, Rich Paul would tell ESPN that LeBron won’t request a trade or be traded. Or that LeBron would later post New York–related emojis. Or that Klutch would reportedly patch up its shaky relationship with the Knicks. Or that LeBron would wrap a Knicks towel around his shoulders after the Lakers beat them. Or that LeBron would respond “no” when asked whether he’s decided what he would do with his player option this summer.”
Does Trading For LeBron James Make Sense?
If James was available, the New York Knicks would have to figure out if they wanted to pursue him. From a team standpoint, the nearly 40-year-old James would still be a positive addition. However, he could take away touches from Jalen Brunson and that is not what the Knicks need at this point.
At the end of the day, this is a business, and bringing in arguably the greatest basketball player to ever play the game would make the Knicks money. That could be one of the driving factors in this decision.
It is not an easy choice for the Knicks, but LeBron is still LeBron. The NBA’s all-time leading scorer can still put up 30 on any given night and is still feared around the league.