There is a chance — and a pretty legitimate one — that LeBron James plays with the Minnesota Timberwolves this season. That means there’s a chance that his next pre-game chalk toss happens inside Target Center with the Wolves’ newly rebranded jersey draped across his chest.
There is a chance that one of the greatest and most well-known global superstars in NBA history will join the Timberwolves in the coming weeks on a minimum contract.
To the countless Wolves fans who trekked through mounds of snow and sub-zero-degree nights to watch a consistently losing team, the idea of James having any interest in playing in Minneapolis was once a crazy, unbelievable, flat-out foolish thought. The type of thought that one would only have been able to conjure up in a dream, fading out of reality when you awake.
But not anymore.
A player of James’ caliber being open to playing for the Timberwolves is no longer a nonsensical hypothetical. Instead, it reflects the upward trajectory the Wolves are on and places this once losing-laden franchise in a tier it has never been in before.
Last week, James informed the Los Angeles Lakers that he would be moving on from them ahead of what would have been the 41-year-old’s ninth season in Southern California. Six years removed from winning a championship with James in 2020, the Lakers have shifted their long-term focus to Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves, who will make over a quarter-billion combined over the next three years.
Meanwhile, James is an unrestricted free agent this summer and feels it is time to move on from the storied franchise. But he still wants to compete for his fifth championship.
According to Spotrac, James has accrued over $580 million in on-court career earnings, which does not include his various sponsorships, his shoe line with Nike, or other off-court endeavors such as his star role in Warner Bros. Pictures’ 2021 film “Space Jam: A New Legacy.” As James searches for his next team, his decision will not be financially motivated, Shams Charania reported last week.
In other words, James is willing to sign a veteran’s minimum contract in 2026-27, which would pay him roughly $4 million but only carry a $2.45 million cap hit for the team he signs with. Therefore, almost any team with an open roster spot can sign the 22-time All-Star. That includes the Timberwolves, who sit roughly $3.85 million under the second apron – which they must stay below this season – and have one roster spot they must fill before the regular season begins.
Last week, on the “Game Over” podcast, LeBron’s agent Rich Paul visualized on a whiteboard ten destinations for his high-profile client, five of which he featured more prominently than the others. In the middle sat the Philadelphia 76ers, the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Miami Heat, the Denver Nuggets, and the Timberwolves.
Paul listed LaMelo Ball, Anthony Edwards, Jaden McDaniels, and Rudy Gobert as incentives for James to sign with Minnesota. He also mentioned Tim Connelly and the Wolves’ ownership group, Alex Rodriguez and Marc Lore. Paul is a businessman, and he could have an angle or a hidden agenda behind his list. Perhaps James already has a destination he prefers to the others. He has been spotted recently partying in his hometown of Akron, Ohio.
But even if that is true, the Timberwolves are in the running. Paul would not have included them if there wasn’t a chance. And Minnesota believes it has a legitimate shot at signing the four-time MVP. The Athletic’s Jon Krawczynski reported Friday night that the Wolves are ramping up their LeBron pursuit behind a confident belief that they have the best environment for him to win another championship.
The Timberwolves believe there is a chance that a historically famous player with a slew of different signing options in warmer climates will pick them. That belief shows that Minnesota — despite the cold — is becoming a place that intrigues coveted players.
Edwards is a tantalizing talent whom James respects greatly. The future Hall of Famer selected Edwards first overall in the 2023 All-Star Game draft in Utah. After Edwards won the All-Star Game MVP at All-Star Weekend this season in Los Angeles, James had high praise for Minnesota’s cornerstone player.
“Love Ant-Man,” James said. “Everything about him. On the court, off the court. Happy for him. First of many All-Star MVPs for him. I love Ant. He’s got a fan in me and a friend in me for life.”
The Timberwolves believe Edwards can become one of the greatest players in NBA history. They believe he is the type of player who can lead them to a championship. The kind of talent this franchise has been without since Kevin Garnett. The type of player that other winning, highly coveted players would be interested in partnering up with.
Kevin Durant and Giannis Antetokounmpo have both spoken very highly of Edwards before being traded elsewhere.
Around Edwards, the Wolves now have Ball, a dynamic young point guard who makes those around him better on offense with his passing. They have McDaniels, a polarizing young two-way talent who can completely eradicate an All-Star-level player in a playoff series with his defense, as he did to Jamal Murray in the first round this year, which Max Kellerman mentioned on the aforementioned episode with Paul.
The Wolves also have Gobert, who is still an All-Defensive-level rim protector who covers up others’ mistakes. Joan Beringer is waiting in the shadows, and the Wolves are very confident he can be their long-term replacement for Gobert’s rim-running abilities.
Meanwhile, well-respected head coach Chris Finch is pulling the strings in Minnesota. They have an ownership group that is sexy and willing to spend. The Wolves also have Connelly, who is never afraid to make big swings on trades.
Historically, the only way the Wolves could acquire big or even mid-level talent was via the trade market. With a losing roster and constant turnover in the front office and coaching staff, the Wolves gave no reason for desirable free agents to overlook Minnesota’s climate.
But now, the Timberwolves have enough built to entice a player like LeBron, who’s in the waning stages of one of the most successful, illustrious careers in NBA history, to sign a minimum contract to live in Minneapolis during the winter.
At 41, the Wolves wouldn’t be getting the perennial MVP candidate that James was years ago. Still, he is a reliable scorer, intelligent passer, and a mind that can break down the game like no other. He still possesses the talent — and aura, of course — that any team would love to add for a season, especially for an extremely discounted rate.
Perhaps LeBron goes home to finish out his career with the Cavaliers. Or maybe he teams up with Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler with the Golden State Warriors.
Or maybe — just maybe — he becomes a Minnesotan for one year and attempts to help lead the Timberwolves to a historic championship alongside Edwards, Ball, McDaniels, and Gobert. But even if that doesn’t happen. Even if LeBron signs elsewhere, the fact that there is a legitimate chance he ends up in the Twin Cities suggests the Timberwolves are the kind of destination they have never been.
The type of destination that makes high-profile outsiders overlook the frigid temperatures because the on-court potential alongside the Wolves’ young core is more scorching than the Southern California sun.
