There is a version of this story that is almost too perfect, as it would be the kind of ending that sports fans dream about.LeBron James, the 40 year old, returns to the city where it all started, puts the Cleveland Cavaliers back on his shoulders, and delivers one final championship for his hometown. The crowd goes wild, the confetti falls, and a career that already feels like a movie gets the Hollywood ending it deserves. The emotional weight of that scenario is hard to ignore. But in the modern NBA, dreams like that run headfirst into cold, hard numbers.
James recently opted into his $52.6 million salary for the upcoming 2025–26 season, locking him in with the purple and gold for at least one more year. That is unless, of course, both sides agree to a trade. Thanks to his full no-trade clause, LeBron can essentially handpick any destination, and while Cleveland makes emotional and competitive sense, the trade mechanics are far from simple.
**The Cavaliers are over the second apron**
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What this essentially means is that any deal for LeBron must perfectly match his salary. That is what makes a deal like this so complicated. One hypothetical floated by [NBA cap expert Yossi Gozlan](https://x.com/YossiGozlan/status/1939384313138532587?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1939384313138532587%7Ctwgr%5Ef292148d73451c834c83486dd34e7ea34c408623%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fbleacherreport.com%2Farticles%2F25221817-lebron-james-trade-reportedly-doesnt-interest-cavs-amid-lakers-rumors-nba-fa) has the Cavs parting with Darius Garland, Jarrett Allen, and De’Andre Hunter. On paper, it adds up, but that price is steep and would make you think, would Cleveland really gut its core for a soon to be 41-year-old with an expiring deal?
Garland is still only 25 years old and is already a two-time All-Star. Allen remains one of the league’s most efficient interior defenders and is signed through 2028. And Hunter has the kind of reliable two-way basketball talent that winning teams alway look for when trying to compete for a chip. That trio helped lead Cleveland to 64 wins last season, which was good enough to be the best in the east. Trading them for one year, of LeBron James could feel like rewriting the future for a story rooted in the past.
**Why this could still be enticing for Cleveland**
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Right now, Donovan Mitchell is the unquestioned leader in Cleveland, but history shows he has struggled to push his teams past the second round, even dating back to his Utah Jazz days. Adding LeBron James could give him the championship-caliber support he has never had. Plus, with Darius Garland he has proven to be injury prone. Losing Allen would not cause that big of a hole either since they already have another young star big in Evan Mobley. And let’s also not forget that the timing would be significant. With the Pacers and Celtics down their stars next season, it makes the East even easier for the taking.
In the end, LeBron’s dream of finishing where it all began tugs at the heart, but championship windows don’t stay open out of sentiment. The storybook ending is there for the taking, but only if both sides are willing to take the risk.