Knicks' LeBron James Hopes Stay Alive

Could LeBron James spurn a Hollywood Ending for a New York minute with the New York Knicks? One insider isn't fully ruling out the possibility.

Documenting James' upcoming, record-setting 23rd season in his latest newsletter, longtime NBA writer Marc Stein believes that the "King's" immediate destiny continues to reside with the Los Angeles Lakers in Southern California. But, offering 23 thoughts on No. 23's road ahead, Stein refused to fully shut down the idea of James one day donning the Knicks' blue-and-orange.

“I believe LeBron’s fondness for playing at MSG makes it unwise to say he'll never be a Knick," Stein said (h/t New York Basketball on X). "[It's] difficult to gauge [the] Knicks willingness…but…I’ll never rule out…He’s said to love The Garden that much."

“I believe LeBron’s fondness for playing at MSG makes it unwise to say he'll never be a Knick…difficult to gauge Knicks willingness…but…I’ll never rule out…He’s said to love The Garden that much”

Marc Stein believes Bron will be a Laker this season—not beyond

Teams & more⬇️ https://t.co/GUEadq8sj9 pic.twitter.com/C0hJOJYo2D
— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) July 26, 2025

The Lakers, fresh off a first-round defeat at the hands of the Minnesota Timberwolves, exercised James' $52.6 million team option at the start of this offseason, but that did little to assure anyone that he'll end his illustrious career in purple-and-gold.

The most remote possibility of James hitting the transaction log is often more than enough to get the Knicks' rumor mill spinning at a frenzied pace. With James entering the presumed twilight of his career, time is short for those who want to see him don Manhattan threads. New York has made several futile pitches to James, most notably during his first professional change of scenery from Cleveland to Miami headlined by the infamous "Decision" television special in 2010.

As Stein notes, part of the speculation is fueled by James' frequently-professed love of playing at the Knicks' home of Madison Square Garden, which has hosted some of his many milestones. For example, James became the seventh player in NBA history to hit 2,500 three-pointers in his career, doing so during a Los Angeles win in February.

Only further fuel has been added to the James fire by the fact that Knicks president Leon Rose has reportedly taken steps to soothe supposed tensions with the player's longtime friend and business rep Rich Paul.

Some speculated that Paul's clients at Klutch Sports, including James, were avoiding the Knicks in negotiations due to Rose's high-profile connections to Creative Artists Agency, Paul's former place of employment. Mike Brown is also serving as the Knicks' new head coach after overseeing part of James' Cleveland heyday, which included his first trip to the NBA Finals in 2007.

In any event, James is guaranteed at least one game at MSG next season on a date that will be revealed when the 2025-26 NBA schedule is released next month.

Make sure you bookmark Knicks on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!