New LeBron James Rumors Reveal Surprising NBA Free Agency Landing Spot Option After Lakers Exit

While the Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers seem to be the top landing spots for LeBron James after he informed the Los Angeles Lakers he wouldn't be returning, another surprising team has entered the mix.

According to The Athletic's Sam Amick, the Minnesota Timberwolves "are known to have interest" in the all-time great as he weighs his free agency options.

James told the Lakers on Tuesday he intends to sign elsewhere after spending the last eight years in Los Angeles. NBA insiders Marc Stein and Jake Fischer reported afterwards that the Warriors are considered to be "at the front of the line" for the four-time MVP.

Golden State reportedly had plans to pair James back up with Anthony Davis, though the Washington Wizards have no plans of trading their big man, according to ESPN's Marc J. Spears, which could throw a wrinkle in the Warriors' hopes of landing James.

Cleveland also has an interest in James, according to NBA insider Chris Haynes, while the Miami Heat were pointed to as a potential landing spot by Fischer.

Those three landing spots make sense for James given where he is at in his career. With nothing left to prove, he could join the Warriors and finally get to team up with Stephen Curry and Draymond Green. In Cleveland or Miami, he could return to a former team, and both would give him the chance to compete for a championship.

The Timberwolves are the odd man out in the race for James. Obviously, Minnesota isn't close to James' home base of Southern California, and he has no connection to the city.

But what the Timberwolves would offer James is the chance to win in what could be his final year.

Minnesota has been on the brink of competing for a title in recent years, and its move to acquire LaMelo Ball from the Charlotte Hornets only gets the Wolves closer to that goal.

While James might be a perfect fit alongside Anthony Edwards, the Timberwolves would have to make quite the pitch to convince James to spend his final years in Minnesota.