MANHATTAN — LeBron James won't be lacing up his sneakers as a member of the New York Knicks if Tracy McGrady's hunch proves correct.
McGrady has said he's be willing to resign with the Knicks next year if they landed a marquee player like James, but the veteran guard didn't sound too optimistic on Sunday.
"When I talk about players coming here, obviously LeBron is the guy," McGrady told reporters Sunday. "My honest opinion, I don't see it happening. I really don't. It's set for him right now [in Cleveland]."
McGrady sat out of the Knicks 113-107 win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday because of his swollen left knee, the New York Post reported.
James is the NBA's leading scorer at 29.9 points per game and has led the Cavaliers to back-to-back 60-win seasons. Meanwhile, the Knicks have lost at least 50 games three straight years and have not had a winning season since 2001.
There's hope in the future for New York. The Knicks, who acquired McGrady in a trade deadline deal back in February, will be more than $30 million under the salary cap when James and other marquee free agents hit the free agent market on July 1.
McGrady, who is making $23 million this season, will consider returning to the Knicks at a discount if he believes they have a chance to win an NBA title. Landing James would be a big step in that direction for New York.
"I would love to be here, be a part of bringing in some players to change the whole situation around," McGrady told the Post. "At the same time, I want to do what's best for me. This is definitely my final run. I want to make sure it's the right decision."
