Who needs Jaylen Brown when your name appears on the Neon Whiteboard?
LeBron James could be a Nugget.
A fever dream became more rooted in reality when agent Rich Paul confirmed his client’s interest in the Nuggets on his “Game Over” podcast with Max Kellerman. Paul used a whiteboard to list 10 suitors for LeBron.
Five made the inner circle. The Nuggets were among them, joined by Cleveland, Philadelphia, Miami and Minnesota.
Of course, the Nuggets could be getting played, winking back at James as the Cavs hang “Welcome Home” banners outside Rocket Arena.
But when Kellerman asked quizzically if the Nuggets were a legitimate destination, Paul responded, “(They) wouldn’t be on the whiteboard (if they weren’t).”
Taking Paul at his word — always dangerous with any agent — the Nuggets must take the hint.
It’s time to put on a full-court press for James. Time for the Kroenkes to be all in.
Go for the old. Go for the bold. Go for the gold.
Want to place soothing balm on three years of disappointing playoff finishes? Chase after a legend whose addition would shake our state’s sports landscape to its core.
Anything less than an open-throttle pursuit is disingenuous. All talk of championship windows with Nikola Jokic comes across as hollow if the Nuggets watch this parade from the curb.
To be clear, this July is not about James. It is about Stan and Josh Kroenke. As the Nuggets owner and president, they hold the PIN numbers to the ATM and the keys to the locker room.
There is no guarantee the Nuggets will get LeBron James. But it is 100 percent certain they won’t without the Kroenkes being all in.
If there was ever a reason to go into the second apron and absorb the repeater tax, this is it.
James likes the Nuggets. He is friends with Josh Kroenke. And he respects KSE’s sports empire of championships delivered by the Nuggets, Avalanche, Rams and Arsenal.
Even with all the cringeworthy things James does and the massive attention he brings, this is an opportunity that cannot be dismissed.
If James is seriously considering the Nuggets over the coming days, the question is simple: If the Kroenkes cannot be bothered to recruit James, the NBA’s all-time scorer and, to the younger generation, the sport’s greatest ever, then why play the season? Why compete? Just call the second apron a hard cap and be done with it.
There have long been pros and cons to bringing on James. He sucks the oxygen out of every room. He becomes the hub of the universe. And, when not happy, he can take out the coach or hold a franchise hostage with his whims.
What makes this different is the timing. Season 24 sets up as James’ last, especially given the Hoops Hype report that the four-time MVP has discussed filming a documentary about the campaign.
James is a lot. But no longer for a lot. Or for a long time.
All indications are that he is prioritizing happiness over money in his next contract. Of course, that means winning, too. And Paul drew the names of Jamal Murray, Cam Johnson, Aaron Gordon and Jokic as an enticing foursome James could join.
Peyton Watson was curiously absent. He is also Paul’s client, so perhaps it was a coded message, a reminder that Johnson might need to go to pay Watson his worth.
Typically, I spray cold water on stories like this. I covered Alex Rodriguez nearly signing with the Rockies in 2000 before he accepted a quarter billion from the Texas Rangers. Smart agents — no one is better than Scott Boras — create markets out of sand pits and leverage mysterious teams into more money.
The reason this has legs is because of the fit.
James excels at the two-man game. No team is better at this than the Nuggets. Jokic and LeBron would not play basketball, they would give nightly recitals. Put LeBron on the wing and let Jokic find him. It would represent the most unselfish pairing of superstars the league has ever seen.
Want to convince LeBron to become a Nugget? Mention Jokic. Over and over.
Want to convince Jokic that being a Nugget still matters? Sell out to sign LeBron.
Jokic was in favor of bringing in Russell Westbrook. There is no reason to believe he would not open his arms to the 41-year-old.
James to the Nuggets conjures memories of Peyton Manning choosing the Broncos. An all-time great aiming for a final championship.
Current BetOnline numbers give the Nuggets 10-to-1 odds of signing James.
Some fans wish they were longer. It is a fascinating wrinkle to this story that James would have to win over the Mile High City. Playing for the Lakers for the last eight seasons made him the enemy.
He won a single ring with the Lakers in 2020, knocking out the Nuggets in the Western Conference Finals in the bubble. When posting Paul’s whiteboard on my Facebook page, the comments against James came in fast and furious, calling the idea “Bad News,” “Not worth $30 million,” and “No please.”
The anger is understandable. James’ fine whine in playoff series against the Nuggets has left footprints on fans’ brains.
Here is how I see it. The Nuggets have the money. They have the roster. They have the pedigree. But to unseat the Spurs and Thunder, they need an impact player.
There is no one on the market who covers all the bases like James. Injuries will be a concern. So will the distractions. And his workload must be managed to make sure he is rested for the postseason.
All the talk of running it back and staying healthy can no longer insult our intelligence. It reached that flash point with me during Game 3 against the Timberwolves.
James is available. He is interested. The ball is in the Kroenkes’ court.
The time is now to pursue The King, for Jokic, for a realistic chance at another championship.
