LeBron isn’t going to sign with the New York Knicks

The New York Knicks may want LeBron James to leave the Cleveland Cavaliers to ball in the Big Apple but it won’t happen.

Before the Cleveland Cavaliers take on the New York Knicks, I come to deliver news to Knicks fans that’s unfortunate, unchangeable and unlikely to surprise anybody:

LeBron James will not be signing with the Knicks if he opts out of his contract this summer, as expected. The billboards asking himself to prove he’s the King of New York by playing for the team won’t work either.

The reasons James wouldn’t sign to a team with their history and New York’s market and appeal are plenty.

To start, Knicks owner James Dolan is considered among the worst in the league. He appears aloof and ineffective, preferring to play songs with his band than be present during last year’s draft.

If Cavaliers fans have to worry about team owner Dan Gilbert’s tendency to get in his own way being a hurdle in signing James, the Knicks don’t seem to have better leadership at that position.

His hiring of Phil Jackson was a complete bust. Though the idea of adding an 11-time NBA champion (as a head coach) has an appeal, Jackson was unwilling to adapt to modern NBA offenses and rubbed former team leader Carmelo Anthony the wrong way by criticizing him publicly, and consistently.

For those that don’t know, Anthony is one of James’ best friends. Though neither Jackson or Anthony are still with the Knicks, James would not sign with the organization that basically ran his best friend out-of-town. I have no insider knowledge, it’s just not what anybody does.

To continue, the instability at the head coaching position is another hurdle. Jeff Hornacek, the Knicks head coach, has done well to move away from Jackson’s emphasis on utilizing the triangle offense. That’s worthy of praise, as today’s players prefer a more free-flowing, motion offense.

However, Hornacek has seemed to butt heads with young star Kristaps Porzingis and even gotten physical with a player. He’s also under fire for the team’s 28-52 record (11th in the Eastern Conference).

Though Hornacek has his supporters in the locker room, what sense is there in James going into a volatile situation?

Though Hornacek’s firing could set up James with a head coach he prefers, who is to say he can put his faith in the Knicks’ front office?

It’s a dubious proposition at best.

The last issue with the Knicks isn’t necessarily their talent, though the inexperience of their two most talented players (Porzingis and Tim Hardaway Jr.) isn’t ideal. The chemistry between James and both rookie Frank Ntilikina and Enes Kanter will be strained.

After James said that Dallas Mavericks rookie point guard Dennis Smith Jr. should have been the Knicks pick in the 2017 NBA Draft (instead of the Frenchman), Kanter took offense to James’ comments (no matter the veracity of the statement).

Both he and Ntilikina would try to get physical with James in their next matchup.

The back-and-forth would continue in the locker rooms.

The Knicks would need to trade Kanter, a productive player on what’s seen as an overpriced contract, and Ntilikina, the 8th pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. To be frank, the relationship between James and either party will always be strained.

Kanter and James seem to have a genuine dislike for one another. Ntilikina will likely always feel slighted because no matter what, James initial comments about Smith certainly weren’t a compliment to his abilities.

That said, all that only matters if James was to ignore the Knicks’ front office setup and history of the Knicks’ management decisions. Which he won’t.

If the Knicks clean house and leave Porzingis and Hardaway Jr., then the King might grant them a visit. The Knicks wouldn’t do that though.

Or would they?

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