Fresh off a run to the Western Semi-Finals, the Minnesota Timberwolves are feeling good about their position in the West. With Anthony Edwards, Rudy Gobert, and Jaden McDaniels, they already had a solid core foundation. So when they added LaMelo Ball to the mix this summer, it only increased the hype and excitement going into this upcoming season.
As a bona fide contender in the West, Minnesota has also been in the mix for LeBron James, but not everyone is so convinced in their chances. When asked about the pursuit, Anthony Edwards declared it was dead, eliminating any glint of hope their fans had in potentially signing the King.
“I have nothing to say about it because I’ve seen his top 3 teams, and we’re not in it,” said Edwards.
As an unrestricted free agent this summer, LeBron James is available to any team, and he’s already committed to playing at least one more season. The catch is that he will only play for a franchise that’s in an immediate position to compete for the championship. Off the bat, that eliminates many teams, but several still remain as ideal and realistic landing spots for LeBron.
Until a few days ago, the Timberwolves were considered one of those teams. James has great respect for Edwards, and he knows how stacked the Timberwolves are with depth and talent at every position. With a specific need for help on the wing, James actually makes a great fit for the Timberwolves on paper, and it makes the most sense to go there based on a purely basketball perspective.
Even so, the Timberwolves are in the West, which makes a championship much harder to obtain. Compared to the East, which is relatively weaker, the West is stacked with some of the best teams in the league, such as the Spurs, Thunder, Nuggets, and Rockets. To even make the Finals, the Wolves would have to beat several of those top-tier teams, which seems like an almost impossible task.
To make matters worse for the Timberwolves, they play in one of the NBA’s smallest markets: Minneapolis, which has historically struggled to attract stars. Without any connections or ties to the team, there’s no reason for LeBron to choose the Timberwolves over the Heat or Cavaliers, teams where he already has some familiarity and roots from his previous stints.
So, while the Timberwolves have tried to make their pitch to LeBron, Anthony Edwards doesn’t sound optimistic that he will choose them in the end. With so much at stake and so little time left, James really wants a place where he can maximize his own happiness while playing meaningful games. The Timberwolves aren’t a bad choice, but they are much more of an unknown for James at a time when he needs more certainty.
Ultimately, it appears that the Timberwolves are in the same place as the Warriors when it comes to LeBron. They command enough respect to be considered in the race, but they seemingly don’t have enough to edge out their top competitors. Edwards has already accepted this reality, but James’ arrival was never going to change his approach anyway.
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