The Minnesota Timberwolves have spent most of LeBron James’ free agency positioned somewhere between a legitimate suitor and an intriguing long shot.
Anthony Edwards recently acknowledged that Minnesota was not among James’ apparent top three choices. Betting markets have treated the Timberwolves as the least likely of his five known options. Yet Minnesota remains in the conversation more than three weeks into free agency.
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, the Wolves are not waiting for another trade, a roster upgrade or an Anthony Davis decision to improve their chances.
They are waiting on James.
“On July 23, we’re literally just waiting on LeBron James,” Charania said Thursday on The Pat McAfee Show. “That’s the choice. His decision.”
Charania named Minnesota alongside Cleveland, Miami, Golden State and Philadelphia as the five teams left in the process. James, agent Rich Paul and their inner circle have completed the information-gathering stage and are not asking the finalists to satisfy another condition.
“The teams are the teams,” Charania said. “The information’s the information. LeBron has everything he needs to make a decision.”
Timberwolves Have an Obvious Role for LeBron James
Getty LeBron James remains the Timberwolves’ biggest free-agent target, though Minnesota has not been mentioned as frequently among the frontrunners as Cleveland, Miami and Philadelphia.
Unlike several other finalists, Minnesota does not need to invent James’ role.
The Timberwolves created a vacancy at power forward when they traded Julius Randle to Brooklyn and Naz Reid to Charlotte as part of the four-team deal that brought LaMelo Ball and Josh Green to Minnesota. James could step directly into a remodeled starting group featuring Ball, Edwards, Jaden McDaniels and Rudy Gobert.
That basketball fit remains the Wolves’ most compelling argument.
Ball would relieve James of primary playmaking responsibilities. Edwards would remain the unquestioned centerpiece of the offense. McDaniels and Gobert could handle difficult defensive assignments, allowing James to conserve energy during what would be his record-setting 24th NBA season.
Minnesota won 49 games last season and made another deep playoff run before reshaping the roster around Edwards. Adding James would address the unresolved power forward spot without requiring the Wolves to trade another important contributor.
It also would give Edwards the experienced secondary creator Minnesota has lacked during several postseason exits.
The financial gap between Minnesota and the other finalists is not expected to matter. Charania said James is considering minimum contracts or available exceptions, with happiness, championship potential and culture carrying more weight than salary.
James also does not want his next team to gut its roster to accommodate him. The Wolves already completed their major offseason trade without any promise that he would follow.
Minnesota Offers LeBron James a Historic Legacy Opportunity
Then there is the legacy opportunity.
James could lead the Timberwolves to their first championship and deliver Minnesota its first NBA title since the Minneapolis Lakers won in 1954. Philadelphia can counter with the opportunity to end the 76ers’ championship drought dating to 1983.
Signing with either Minnesota or Philadelphia — or Golden State — would give James a chance to become the first player in NBA history to win championships with four franchises. But only the Timberwolves can offer him the opportunity to deliver a franchise’s first title and instantly become the most consequential acquisition in its history.
Anthony Davis Is Not Holding Up James’ Decision
Much of the league’s attention had centered on Golden State’s pursuit of Davis.
Draymond Green declined his $27.7 million player option, creating greater flexibility for the Warriors to pursue James and Davis. But Golden State’s Davis talks with the Washington Wizards have “gone nowhere,” Charania said, with no indication that they will resume.
Davis becomes eligible Aug. 6 to negotiate an extension with Washington, leading to speculation that James might wait until then before choosing a team.
Charania dismissed that idea.
“They’re not waiting for another domino right now,” he said. “They’re not waiting for Anthony Davis to get traded anywhere. They’re not waiting for anyone else to move around anywhere.”
That leaves Minnesota’s standing unchanged. The Wolves are not James’ perceived favorite, and Edwards’ assessment suggested the organization has ground to make up.
But they remain one of five teams James is considering, armed with a ready-made role, an immediate contender and the opportunity to accomplish something he could not anywhere else: deliver the Timberwolves’ first championship.
The Timberwolves do not have another move to make for James.
Now they must find out whether the moves they already made — and the history he could make — are enough.
Like HEAVY’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
The post Timberwolves Learn What LeBron James Is Waiting for: Insider appeared first on HEAVY.