NBA: Playoffs-Oklahoma City Thunder at Los Angeles Lakers
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The New York Knicks didn’t end up bringing in LeBron James fresh off of an NBA championship. Instead, he chose the Philadelphia 76ers, signing a two-year, $8 million deal on Friday.
James’ agent, Rich Paul, had previously stated that he would have signed with New York had they not won the championship. The title effectively took the Knicks out of the equation, and he settled on Philadelphia after they acquired Jaylen Brown earlier this offseason.
According to Sam Amico of Hoops Wire, James’ camp reached out to the Knicks during his free agency, but New York expressed that they weren’t interested in making a serious pursuit at the future Hall of Famer.
LeBron James, knicks, NBA: Playoffs-Los Angeles Lakers at Oklahoma City Thunder
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“The reasoning was fairly straightforward, sources said. New York likes what it already has,” Amico wrote.
New York managed to bring back essentially the entire championship core this summer, with the exception of Mitchell Robinson, who signed with the Boston Celtics. More impressively, the Knicks were able to do while remaining below the second apron.
Knicks are now LeBron’s biggest rival
The Knicks would have obviously benefited from adding James to the mix, but given the chemistry they have formed from their title run, simply running it back is a much safer option.
NBA: Playoffs-New York Knicks at Philadelphia 76ers
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The 76ers are certainly posing as the Knicks’ biggest threat to repeat next season with the additions of Brown and James. However, depth and health concerns remain prevalent, and the Knicks clearly feel as though they are still a better overall team.
New York won’t be bringing in James for his retirement tour, but now they can use his final stretch of his career serving as his biggest rival to close out the final chapter of his career.
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Dylan Backer is the Head of NBA Content and the VP of Social Media Strategy for ESM. He is ... More about Dylan Backer
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