Minnesota Sports Forum

One more thought occurred to me this morning. Which team on LeBron’s list wants and needs him the most? I think it’s clearly the Wolves on both want and need. Coming to the Wolves would far more meaningful to the team and fans than going back to Cleveland or Miami where he’s been before.

LeBron would significantly impact the wolves chances of wining a ring by filling a position of need and provided needed mature leadership/mentorship. Going to GS would be meaningful to Curry and Green who are his friends, but would not move the needle for the team. And I done see him having the same importance in Philly with Embiid and Brown there.

He should go where he’s most wanted.

Lipoli390 wrote: ↑Sat Jul 11, 2026 11:41 am One more thought occurred to me this morning. Which team on LeBron’s list wants and needs him the most? I think it’s clearly the Wolves on both want and need. Coming to the Wolves would far more meaningful to the team and fans than going back to Cleveland or Miami where he’s been before.

LeBron would significantly impact the wolves chances of wining a ring by filling a position of need and provided needed mature leadership/mentorship. Going to GS would be meaningful to Curry and Green who are his friends, but would not move the needle for the team. And I done see him having the same importance in Philly with Embiid and Brown there.

He should go where he’s most wanted.

That's significant factor as well.

Another thing from the past few days is, Lobos 1707 is his Tequila brand. What better place to go this year while he's promoting that?? I mean COME ON, Lebron.. you know this is the spot lol

Has anyone asked why Lebron doesn't want to return to the lakers?

We’re still missing shots but I’m encouraged to see that Evans apparently has more in his game than spot-up shooting. He has great energy and he’s very quick. Rocco’s three-point shot looks good it just isn’t falling.

mjs34 wrote: ↑Sat Jul 11, 2026 6:26 pm Has anyone asked why Lebron doesn't want to return to the lakers?

If i had to guess, my hunch is he does not like Luka.

mjs34 wrote: ↑Sat Jul 11, 2026 6:26 pm Has anyone asked why Lebron doesn't want to return to the lakers?

I think the feeling was mutual between Lebron and the team. Sounds like it was time to split.

Listening to various podcasts recently, it has been brought up that LeBron will want to go somewhere where he can be himself and he didn't so much enjoy deferring to Luka and Reaves. Maybe he just didn't like that the team was taken from him and handed to Luka.

This is an interesting discussion point considering that Ant and Melo will have the ball alot here. The thing is, Cleveland has Mitchell and Harden. That is similar to what the Wolves have. Philly has Maxey, Brown and Embiid. Philly would seem to have too much ball domination going on for LeBron.

The Warriors and Heat are the teams with only 1 sure fire ball dominater in Curry and Giannis, depending on how you view Jimmy and Bam, I guess.

It'll be interesting, and telling, to see where LeBron views himself by his choice.

Phenom wrote: ↑Sun Jul 12, 2026 8:36 pm Listening to various podcasts recently, it has been brought up that LeBron will want to go somewhere where he can be himself and he didn't so much enjoy deferring to Luka and Reaves. Maybe he just didn't like that the team was taken from him and handed to Luka.

This is an interesting discussion point considering that Ant and Melo will have the ball alot here. The thing is, Cleveland has Mitchell and Harden. That is similar to what the Wolves have. Philly has Maxey, Brown and Embiid. Philly would seem to have too much ball domination going on for LeBron.

The Warriors and Heat are the teams with only 1 sure fire ball dominater in Curry and Giannis, depending on how you view Jimmy and Bam, I guess.

It'll be interesting, and telling, to see where LeBron views himself by his choice.

Interesting take, Phenom. It’s definitely possible that a high priority for LeBron is have a role as a major facilitator. If so, I agree the Warriors and Heat seem to look like more favorable destinations for LeBron than the Wolves, Sixers, Cavs or Denver (assuming Denver is still in the running). He can share that role with Steph in Golden State and with Giannis in Miami. But the Wolves already have two ball-dominant players in Ball and Edwards. The Sixers have Maxey and Brown. The Cavs have Harden and Mitchell. Gut does LeBron, at age 41/42, really want to take on that much responsibility as a team’s #2 ball-handler/facilitator? My gut says no.

Nevertheless, there had to be a reason he’s leaving the Lakers. It might be as simple as LeBron getting just getting the itch to move on. He has established a pattern as a guy who doesn’t like to stay in one place. He also loves attention and is super focused on his legacy. Staying another year or two to finish his career with a Laker team that was unlikely to come out of the West or even make the Western Conference Finals might have struck him as a boring, anticlimactic end to his career. I think leaving the Lakers was mainly about LeBron seeking attention, finding a new adventure and doing something different to cement his legacy with something unique and more dramatic than a repeat of last season’s mediocre success with the Lakers. In my view, that means making a sentimental return to his home town team the Cavs or bringing a championship to a team that has never won one or hasn’t seen the trophy in a long, long time.

That’s why I keep coming back to the Sixers and Wolves. If it’s not Cleveland, it has to be Sixers or Wolves to provide LeBron with the adventure and dramatic final chapter for his legacy. He’ll want that last chapter to end with a championship ring or at least a trip to the finals and I continue to believe Philly gives him better odds than Minnesota of getting to the Finals. But I also think LeBron will want writing his final chapter to be fun and I question whether he’d have fun playing with Jaylen Brown and Embiid. Those are two HUGE veteran egos who dominate the ball and the locker room. I have to believe he believes or knows that playing with LaMelo, Ant, Jaden and Ayo would be fun. They are all young and likely to show LeBron deference and reverence he can’t count on getting from Brown and Embiid.

Based on the info I have it seems like Edwards would be like "Lebron bring yo ass and we will work it out. It sounds like Lamelo actually is willing to let someone else have the spotlight. There has been reporting for years Lebron actually has wanted more ball handler's creators next to him. If he actually wants to win he needs more than just him he is smart.

I guess if he was willing to take the vet min with the Lakers or whatever then sure maybe they would have been able to win. Idk often players would rather take that lesser salalry somewhere else. Lebron could still get some larger amount of money some sort of mid-level exception money still although I have no idea if he cares about that or not. Maybe Lebron was like look at this roster nobody can defend a lick we aren't winning a championship even if we get Walker Kessler and he is as good as Rudy Gobert on defense.

Monster wrote: ↑Sun Jul 12, 2026 11:52 pm Based on the info I have it seems like Edwards would be like "Lebron bring yo ass and we will work it out. It sounds like Lamelo actually is willing to let someone else have the spotlight. There has been reporting for years Lebron actually has wanted more ball handler's creators next to him. If he actually wants to win he needs more than just him he is smart.

I guess if he was willing to take the vet min with the Lakers or whatever then sure maybe they would have been able to win. Idk often players would rather take that lesser salalry somewhere else. Lebron could still get some larger amount of money some sort of mid-level exception money still although I have no idea if he cares about that or not. Maybe Lebron was like look at this roster nobody can defend a lick we aren't winning a championship even if we get Walker Kessler and he is as good as Rudy Gobert on defense.

He's a smart guy and knows that him, Luka and Reeves was never gonna be a good basketball fit.

Luka wants to play Harden ball and you can't ask LeBron James of all people to be PJ Washington