Knicks Get Brutal LeBron James Outlook

LeBron James could be a free agent next summer, but the New York Knicks might not make sense as his final destination.

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James against the New York Knicks. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

The New York Knicks are keeping an eye on LeBron James, who is set to become a free agent next summer.

LeBron could go in a number of different directions, including retirement, for the future beyond this season. One of those paths includes signing with the Knicks, who have wanted to bring LeBron on board since he was first a free agent in 2010.

CBS Sports writer Sam Quinn explored the idea of what it would take for the Knicks to sign LeBron in free agency next offseason.

"As of right now, New York has around $46 million in second-apron space. However, that doesn't account for the new deals we expect Mikal Bridges and Mitchell Robinson to sign between now and next summer," Quinn wrote.

"If both are long-term Knicks, New York will blow past the second apron and only have a minimum to offer. If James is open to the minimum, and that's already a stretch, wouldn't he be likelier to take it in Cleveland than New York? In this scenario, the Knicks would be fighting an uphill battle."

The Knicks would likely need to trade one or both of Bridges and Robinson to bring LeBron on board for more than the minimum. Chances are, for the money LeBron would be seeking, it would be hard to justify keeping Bridges on board. Also, LeBron and Bridges play similar positions, so that would also create a bit of a logjam.

There is a world in which LeBron truly wants to be with the Knicks and doesn't care about money at all. That would be a perfect scenario for New York, who could sign him without having to reconfigure the entire roster and simply add him to the mix.

However, it's hard to imagine the King willing to play for pennies, even if it is in New York.

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