The Minnesota Timberwolves are one of several teams on the trail of LeBron James, but getting him to actually land in Minnesota may prove difficult. While the Timberwolves have the best basketball case for James to sign, other teams like the Philadelphia 76ers also have good cases, and perhaps the aid of Bob Myers’ (the president of the Sixers' ownership group) appearance on the “Game Over” podcast with Max Kellerman and James’s agent Rich Paul.
During the appearance, which The Athletic’s Joe Vardon reports was planned before James’ free agency began last week, Myers laid his best case to Paul for James to come to Philadelphia and said “If [LeBron] was here, I’d say, ‘I honestly believe this is your best chance to win.’”
Vardon added that there are no plans for Paul to have each potential suitor for James on his podcast to plead their case. But if he’s willing to have more guests, it’s time to send Anthony Edwards to close the deal for the Timberwolves.
The Timberwolves should send Anthony Edwards to recruit LeBron James
If you’ve ever heard Edwards speak, you’ll know that his enthusiasm is contagious. One of the most charismatic stars in the NBA, it’s just amusing to see Edwards anywhere near a microphone because nobody knows what he’s going to say.
For James, it could be several things. The first is the basketball reasons. Edwards could talk about James’ fit with LaMelo Ball and Rudy Gobert. Plus, his viral quote of “We got Jaden McDaniels” when after the Phoenix Suns traded for Kevin Durant a few years ago has already made its way to Paul’s podcast when he listed all of the suitors on a whiteboard.
There’s also the chance that Edwards could convince James that Minnesota isn’t that cold. The average temperature in Minneapolis (46 degrees) isn’t that far off from the average in Cleveland (51 degrees) and while it’s more of a difference in January, Edwards can rehash one of his other epic quotes right before he was selected with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft.
“I’m not going to play basketball in the snow,” Edwards told Marc J. Spears, who is now with ESPN. “So, I’m not worried about it.”
If anything, Edwards could vouch for how valuable James’ leadership could be in the Timberwolves’ locker room. Minnesota lost a pair of respected leaders when Mike Conley and Kyle Anderson departed in free agency, and the Wolves lost two key parts of last year's team when Julius Randle and Naz Reid were traded this summer.
Could Edwards’ charm be what lands James in Minnesota? Probably not. But if other teams are getting airtime to plead their case, it might be worth a shot.
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