Surprising new suitor emerges for LeBron James

LeBron James has informed the Los Angeles Lakers that he won't return for a ninth season with the organization.

As such, he'll become an unrestricted free agent for the fourth time in his career.

Even at 41, LeBron is the biggest name up for grabs right now. As such, multiple teams will try to get their hands on him, even those that may not stand much of a chance.

According to Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic, one of those teams is the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The Timberwolves are making a hopeful push for LeBron James

"The Wolves were one of several teams to reach out on Tuesday and express interest in bringing James aboard, team and league sources that spoke on condition of anonymity to describe ongoing deliberations told The Athletic," Krawczynski wrote.

On paper, the Timberwolves could be an appealing destination. They have a budding superstar in Anthony Edwards and just traded for LaMelo Ball.

Nevertheless, they can't offer him as much money as other destinations, and they're not the most appealing market for a player like LeBron. As such, they know they're a long shot.

"The Wolves do not believe they’re anywhere near the front of the line for James’ services, the team and league sources said, especially considering their lack of spending power," Krawczynski added.

That said, we've seen crazier things happen in this league. The Timberwolves are up and coming and are a legitimate contender in the Western Conference.

It's hard to believe James will ultimately choose them, but they would probably give him a better shot at a championship than some other teams.