LeBron James is officially a free agent, and teams are scrambling to try to fit him into their plans. While the future Hall of Famer is the type of player who perhaps embodies the modern era of nearly positionless basketball better than any other, the salary cap is still a major factor.
Most importantly for interested suitors will be catering to James’ needs and desires. As has been widely reported, the 22-time All-Star will be prioritizing “happiness” in his next situation. Exactly what that looks like remains to be seen, but odds are he’ll value a chance to compete for his fifth ring almost as much as any other factor.
Another key will be how well the 41-year-old fits not just in the locker room, but on the floor, and which players he’ll have to complement his skill set. James is past the stage where he’ll be a team’s top scorer or defender, so he’ll need someone else who can take both roles off his aging shoulders.
There’s one team that may have everything the basketball icon is searching for, but it may not be the destination anyone is expecting.
Is LeBron James Perfect for the Timberwolves?
Recently, Zach Lowe and Rob Mahoney got together for the latest recording of “The Zach Lowe Show Podcast.” While doing so, Mahoney was asked, “Which team would LeBron fit best on?” The analyst named two, but the first one that came to mind was the Minnesota Timberwolves, who have expressed interest in James early on.
“Who would you want next to LaMelo Ball to get his head screwed on exactly straight?” Mahoney asked. “LeBron James is a great place to start.”
The 24-year-old Ball is clearly talented as a one-time All-Star. Yet, some would suggest that he still faces maturity issues six seasons into his career. An admired legend like James could be the voice that gets through to Ball. But that’s not all. The Timberwolves also might have the perfect complementary pieces in place to take advantage of James’ unique skill set.
“What kind of young stars or great young players would you want around LeBron to take the load off of him? Okay, Anthony Edwards offensively. Jaden McDaniels defensively,” Mahoney continued.
“Plugging LeBron into that group with Rudy Gobert at the five as well. I mean, holy [expletive]. That has all bases covered. It’s super exciting. Solves all of Minnesota’s off-ball playmaking issues. Silver bullet solution for a lot of their problems.”
The Timberwolves are hunting feverishly for a new starting power forward after trading Julius Randle, which would have finally opened up a starting slot for Naz Reid until he, too, was dealt.
Now, Minnesota has limited assets and cap space, making a potential acquisition of James difficult to pull off. Yet, you can’t fault Timberwolves president of basketball operations Tim Connelly for trying.
