One of the hottest topics of the New York Knicks’ offseason – along with the entire NBA – has been whether or not Los Angeles Lakers superstar and future Hall of Famer LeBron James will join them next season. Despite several rumors, it appears that the sweepstakes are officially over, with no new team landing him.
Lakers are not expected to trade LeBron James this offseason
The Athletic’s Dan Woike reported that James has not formally requested a trade or a contract buyout, and neither is expected to occur this offseason.
“Amid the constant speculation recently about his future, both the Lakers and people close to the NBA’s all-time leading scorer expect that he will be with the organization for training camp once the season begins this fall, league sources told The Athletic,” Woile wrote.
James’ future with the Lakers has been in question since he exercised his $52 million player option earlier this summer. In essence, he is playing on an expiring deal, and it may not be long before the 41-year-old hangs it up once and for all.
The Knicks were among the teams heavily rumored to acquire James
Due to his advanced age, many wondered if he would join a team that was in better shape to win a title. The Knicks were one of those teams, as they are arguably the favorites on paper to win the Eastern Conference next season.
However, the Knicks don’t have a ton of draft capital they can move in a hypothetical deal to get James, so that would mean giving up one or more of their core players from last season. While James is still an elite player at his age, their chances of winning a title may not significantly increase if they have to give up key players to bring him in.
Regardless, anybody who dreamed of James playing in Madison Square Garden next season can keep dreaming, as the idea of him playing elsewhere next season seems to be dead.
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