Earl Boykins Says LeBron Will 'Never, Ever' Play for the Knicks

Longtime NBA guard Earl Boykins, who spent some time with the Cavs, doesn't foresee LeBron James ever signing with the Knicks, but he does think Denver is in contention.

LeBron James and Earl Boykins
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Image via Getty/David Liam Kyle/NBAE

LeBron James and Earl Boykins

Earl Boykins spent 13 seasons in the NBA, including a brief stint with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2000. Boykins, who bounced between 11 franchises, played 42 games for the Cavs. The 5-foot-5, 135-pound guard recently shared his perspective on LeBron James' impending free agency.

Interestingly, Boykins said LeBron absolutely will not ever play for the New York Knicks. The Knicks currently have 30-1 odds of landing King James. As Vegas sees it, New York has the eighth-best chance of signing him—but as Boykins sees it, that belief is misguided.

"I have insider information," Boykins said in a recent appearance on Hastings and Browman. "He will never, ever play for the New York Knicks."

We're not sure where this "insider information" could be coming from, but it would be weird for Boykins to share such a strong opinion if he weren't absolutely certain of it. 

Boykins added that he views one under-the-radar team as a contender—the Denver Nuggets, with whom Boykins spent the heyday of his career. He played four seasons for Denver and in 2006-07 averaged 15.2 points per game.

"He's gonna look at Denver...the Nuggets have the young pieces that LeBron wants around him," Boykins explained. "They do."

It's not that absurd of a take—the Nuggets have Gary Harris, Jamal Murray, and Nikola Jokic, and they're considered an up-and-coming team in the West. Though they have talent, they're not a frontrunner, so if LeBron were to take them to the promised land, it would provide a big boost for his legacy.

Jokic will be an unrestricted free agent in 2019, and Boykins said inking him to a long-term deal would help Denver's odds of landing LeBron.

"If they sign Jokic, it goes up to 35-40 percent," Boykins said.

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