5 Reasons Why LeBron Will Sign With The Knicks
It's here, the matchup we all wanted is here. The NBA Finals start tonight and we get the 73 win Golden State Warriors against the Cleveland Cavaliers. LeBron in his 6th straight NBA Finals with a fully loaded Cavs team with Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love healthy. But one thing that many people aren't talking about is that this could be the last time we see LeBron James in a Cavaliers jersey. He's also scheduled to be a free agent, but he's not being talked about nearly as much as Kevin Durant is. I'm of the mindset that LeBron won't leave Cleveland until he wins a ring, but if he wins this one, he's a sure bet to leave. If LeBron wins the title this year and brings the city of Cleveland it's first championship since the Browns in 1964 he can say he did what he came back to do, and he'd be free to play the rest of his career out however he wants.
This article will be about why I think if the Cavs win, LeBron will leave for the New York Knicks. But this is what I will preface the post with, trash the post if LeBron loses to the Warriors. Here are 5 reasons why LeBron will sign with the Knicks in free agency this summer if Cleveland wins the NBA Finals.
1. LeBron can leave Cleveland with no regrets.
When LeBron announced that he would return to Cleveland 2 years ago, he swore that he would do everything he could to bring his hometown team a championship. He would bring the fans that have gone through continuous rough streaks with their teams a reason to celebrate once again, and just winning one title for Cleveland will mean he's done his job, and nobody can give LeBron any grief if he decides to take his talents elsewhere once again.
Could LeBron and Melo be teammates?
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2. LeBron will get the chance to play with his friends again.
LeBron said a few months ago that he would love to get the chance to play with Carmelo Anthony. Melo has said time and time again that he won't be leaving the Knicks under any circumstance, and we all know that Cleveland isn't a prime destination for superstar players not named LeBron James. And it's been well documented that teams with a happy LeBron play better, and playing with his friends will give a big boost to LeBron mentally.
3. New York is the only destination to get Chris Paul to leave LA.
In the same response that James gave saying he'd love to play with Carmelo Anthony, he also mentioned Chris Paul. Last summer we all saw the now famous banana boat picture featuring LeBron, CP3, and Dwyane Wade, and it's no secret that they're all great friends off the court. Chris Paul wouldn't give Cleveland a chance in hell to sign him, but a big market like New York and a chance to play with a team already featuring LeBron and Melo would give Paul a legitimate reason to leave. I think it's becoming increasingly clear to Chris Paul that he won't be able to win a championship with Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan as his sidekicks. Paul is a free agent after the 2016-17 season and the salary cap is expected to jump up from $90 million to $107 million, giving the Knicks more than enough cap room to bring him in.
4. LeBron stays in the Eastern Conference
LeBron has dominated the Eastern Conference basically his entire career. He's gone to 6 straight NBA Finals, and if he goes to New York he obviously gets a great chance to continue that streak. Even with the teammates he would have in New York in year one, he'd still be the odds on favorite to come out of the East and into the finals again, giving him a streak that we haven't seen before. This also would attract free agents to come and join him from the Western Conference, potentially weakening his potential finals opponents.
5. LeBron can further cement his legacy
If LeBron wins this year in Cleveland, he will have brought them the cities first championship since Jim Brown won for the Browns in 1964. New York City and Madison Square Garden is the biggest stage that you can play on, and they haven't won a title since Willis Reed and Walt "Clyde" Frazier did it in 1970. If he wins the Knicks their first title in over 40 years after bringing Cleveland their first title in over 50? He can cement his legacy as one of the greatest and most influential players in the history of basketball.
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