Trade Deadline: Are LeBron James' Emojis Hinting at a Move to Knicks?

Despite denials from his agent Rich Paul, the idea of LeBron James moving to the New York Knicks at the trade deadline continues to persist ... and posts from James himself aren't making them go away.

The New York Knicks have built a winning streak fit for a king. Some feel it could be enough to lure LeBron "King" James over to Manhattan after years of speculation.

Though his agent Rich Paul told ESPN's Brian Windhorst that they have no plans to move from the Los Angeles Lakers, James doesn't seem to be doing anything to dispel such notions: James replied to an X post from entertainment collaborator Paul Rivera, depicting nothing but an apple (referencing New York City's nickname of the "Big Apple"), with two of the Statue of Liberty and a crown.

Rivera works with James' production line SpringHill Company and is credited as the co-creator of his talk show "The Shop."

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One could easily pass off James and Rivera's modern hieroglyphics as an acknowledgment of the Lakers' Saturday night visit to Madison Square Garden (8:30 p.m. ET, ABC). The Lakers will be the latest to try and conquer the scorching Knicks, who can become the first NBA team to win 10 games in a row this year. James has frequently spoken of his love for New York City and playing at MSG, which has led fans and observers to frequently link the two in fantasy basketball pairings.

But a report from Stefan Bondy of the New York Post makes the timing of James' emojis even more curious: in that post, Bondy says that Paul met with Knicks president Leon Rose with the intent of "mov(ing) forward with a business relationship." Paul's clients at Klutch Sports Group have reportedly been reluctant to move to the Knicks due to Rose's prior connections with Creative Artists Agency. Rose previously repped James before he moved to Klutch, founded by his childhood friend Paul.

LeBron Agent Rich Paul, Knicks Making Peace?

Paul's emphatic denial of a trade should at least temporarily shut down any idea of James moving east for reasons beyond those of Saturday's. But recent developments, as well as the Knicks continued tries to lure an established superstar to Manhattan, hosting James' potential final hardwood hours suddenly feel a lot more realistic than they did as little as a week ago. 

James (ankle) is listed as questionable for Saturday's visit to Manhattan.