Almost the entire NBA had a desire to land LeBron James at one point this offseason.
If LeBron James is considered to be ring chasing, then there were plenty of teams willing to help him in that endeavor.
A reported 27 teams expressed interest in the 22-time All-Star before he ultimately landed on the Philadelphia 76ers.
That’s an absurd number of teams going after a player who many try to call washed. What’s also interesting is the three teams that had no interest in James. Obviously one of them was the Los Angeles Lakers, but the other two are very intriguing to think about.
Nonetheless, there were five teams left in contention for James’ services: the Miami Heat, the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Golden State Warriors, the Minnesota Timberwolves, and the 76ers.
We all know where he ended up, but a few of these teams would have been interesting to see play out. Cleveland and Miami were already out if you consider the fact that he’s already played there, so it’s time for something new. So that leaves the Warriors and Minnesota.
Golden State would have been fun to watch just to see James share the floor with the greatest shooter of all time, Stephen Curry. There could have been a way to add James and bring back Draymond Green on a lesser deal that would aid in the signing of James as well. It may have been an aging roster, but those three would have found a way to get the job done and work their way to the playoffs.
But the really promising choice would have been the Timberwolves. You talk about an explosive offense; this team leads the pack.
A team with Anthony Edwards and LaMelo Ball alone generates revenue that Minnesota hasn’t seen since the Kevin Garnett era. Not only that but it could have helped push Minnesota to the next level. Ball would be able to move without the ball and utilize his lethal scoring abilities while James facilitated.
Not only that but Edwards would have free range as well and not have to do so much on the offensive side and allow his defense to take shape. James would have been asked to score more for Minnesota than in Philadelphia, however.
There is so much untapped potential with these hypotheticals, but at the end of the day, James went with the team that had the best supporting cast. It’s no question this was the best decision; it’s just fun to wonder, “What if?"
