“You just hired Mike Brown, who has been to a Finals with LeBron” – Nick Wright urges Knicks to trade for LeBron James originally appeared on Basketball Network.
The New York Knicks hired Mike Brown, who, in his 11 years in the NBA, has coached the Cleveland Cavaliers, Los Angeles Lakers and most recently, the Sacramento Kings.
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Brown had his best season in 2006-07 with the Cavaliers, when he led 22-year-old LeBron James and Co. to the NBA Finals — they were swept by the San Antonio Spurs.
James, meanwhile, is now 40 years old, entering his 23rd NBA season. He recently opted into his $52.6 million player option with the Lakers.
However, according to Nick Wright, the Knicks should consider trading for James and reconnecting him with his former head coach.
“If you are the New York Knicks right now, in a wide open Eastern Conference and you just hired Mike Brown who has been to a Finals with LeBron, you’re not having a very long meeting about Karl-Anthony Towns for LeBron James and how that works, and calling the Lakers to see if they’re interested,” said Wright.
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Wright on why both teams may have an interest
James’ agent, Rich Paul, insinuated that his client could be leaving L.A. if he does not feel that the team is good enough to compete for a championship — they brought in Jake LaRavia and Deandre Ayton in free agency.
As for the Knicks, Wright said having LeBron instead of Karl-Anthony Towns would make them a better defensive team, especially since Mitchell Robinson would get more minutes. Also, James showed last year that if he isn’t the primary playmaker, he can still be a good defender.
Wright also mentioned that if the Knicks aren’t sure about giving Towns a max contract extension — they already signed Jalen Brunson, OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges to big deals — it would make sense to trade for James and get an expiring contract if the 2025-26 season does not pan out.
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There are cons to adding LeBron
Still, Wright cautioned that trading for James would have its disadvantages. The most obvious one is age — James is a decade older than Towns, and he may be playing in his final NBA season.
Wright also mentioned that adding a player of LeBron’s caliber would change the Knicks’ dynamics significantly.
“I think those are all real legitimate discussions, and then it’s like right now, this moment, as crazy as this is, cuz he’s gonna be in Year 23, but is LeBron better than Karl-Anthony Towns?” he continued. “My answer to that question is yes. If you feel differently, you don’t make this trade. But if you think the answer is yes, does the 2025-26 season have more value than future seasons?”
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Wright isn’t the only one to propose a LeBron move to the Big Apple. Last week, ESPN’s Alan Hahn also dared James to “Sing it like Sinatra” and go to New York if he truly wants to win another championship.
At the end of the day, though, it’s LeBron who holds the cards because he has a no-trade clause. New York is a destination he once pondered joining. But that was 15 years ago. A lot has changed since then.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jul 11, 2025, where it first appeared.