The New York Knicks are too busy celebrating their championship to worry about free-agency drama, yet their team is still being tossed into theories about LeBron James. In a recent article written by Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports, the Knicks were mentioned as a potential surprise team in the James sweepstakes that has taken over the summer.
“Maybe LeBron shocks the world and joins the defending champion Knicks, despite how much he'd get called a ring-chaser,” O’Connor wrote. Obviously, O’Connor is just throwing out an idea. A random one. And in this case, an idea that would destroy everything the Knicks have worked so hard to build.
Adding James to this Knicks team would ruin the carefully crafted order of operations by adding one of the most ball-dominant stars in recent NBA history.
In no world should the Knicks consider signing LeBron James
Last year with the Los Angeles Lakers, James managed to find success as the team’s second, or even third, option at times, operating alongside Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.
So, if nothing else, he proved fully capable of taking a step back from a lead role. But then, once the playoffs came around, he also showed that he’s still a lead offensive player at his best, taking down the Houston Rockets in the first round.
If the Knicks were to sign James, it would be overkill. He would just be another guy who needs the ball in his hands, sending other players down the depth chart.
But not only would James take touches away from Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns, but he would also take minutes away from the OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges, and Josh Hart crowd.
In theory, that’s okay, but what about when the playoffs come around, and the Knicks need a defensive stop? Will they leave 41-year-old James on the bench in favor of defense? Will he be okay with that?
He’s 41, sure, but James has never been the type of guy to just be on the bench in crunch time. He’s always been on the court. In New York, that could change, and he probably wouldn’t love that.
The Knicks have developed an elite chemistry as a team. It paid off big-time this year. They reached the pinnacle of the sport. New York is a title town once again.
Bringing in a big name like James – a guy who notoriously soaks up the spotlight and has very high usage on offense without much to offer on defense at this point in his career – would shake things up for the Knicks in the worst way.
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