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As LeBron James' Lakers future looks bleaker than ever before, recent rumors on a 99% Cleveland Cavaliers return, on one condition, surface.
In the last year of his contract with the Los Angeles Lakers, LeBron James is set to become a free agent, and signs point to him leaving his current team this summer, with rumors swirling about a potential return to the Cleveland Cavaliers to close out his career.
While James himself has yet to comment about his future, multiple insiders have hinted that the superstar and league’s all-time leading scorer is eyeing a return to his old team.
Most recently, it was Brian Windhorst commenting about the potential move, but he gave one caveat, that if James accepts, points to a 99% chance of him joining the Cavaliers next season.
ESPN Cleveland
“If he’s able and willing, and is willing to accept that money, I think it’s 99%,” – @WindhorstESPN on LeBron James and the Cavs.
Windy notes that LeBron would have to probably accept a minimum contract in Cleveland.
“He would only come at a discount. The only way the Cavs could add him would be to get him to play at either the minimum, or do some things to shave some salary to open the mid-level exception,” Windhorst said on ESPN Cleveland radio. “If he’s able and willing, and is willing to accept that money, I think it’s 99%.”
LeBron James Lakers Future
In the last year of his contract with the Lakers, if James was going to return, there likely would have already been a new deal in place. However, after picking up his player option for this season and opting for free agency this summer, the idea of him leaving Los Angeles has only grown over the past 12 months.
In a recent interview with CNBC, Lakers owner Jeanie Buss said that James hadn’t given any indication that he plans on returning to the team next season.
“Never say never, but you know, he certainly hasn’t given an indication,” she said. “He’s earned the right to decide how his career will go, and you know, he continues to impress.”
Additionally, an unnamed Eastern Conference executive recently urged the Lakers to move off the 41-year-old James and not sign him back, regardless of what his plans are for next season.
“The first thing they have to do is move off LeBron,” the executive also said to Dave McMenamin of ESPN. “Let him walk and use the space to retool around Luka. Keeping Reaves is critical.”
Insiders Shams Charania and Jake Fischer have also both said they expect James and the Lakers to end their relationship after this season.
James himself, speaking to the press over All-Star weekend, chose instead to say he doesn’t know whether he’ll continue playing after this season, but with the expectation that he would announce a retirement tour rather than finishing out his career quietly, the Cavaliers have emerged as his next team.
“When I know, you guys will know. I don’t know. I have no idea,” James said. “I just want to live, that’s all.”
Windhost On A Potential LeBron James Cavaliers Return
While signs point to this being James’s last season with the Lakers, the Cavaliers have been the only team he’s been rumored to go to over the summer.
Along with saying James would have to take a minimum contract to join Cleveland, due to their status as having the highest payroll in the NBA, the insider added that he could still be an impactful addition, despite being the oldest player in the league.
“You look at how productive he is, assuming he would be roughly the same player he is now…He is still highly impactful,” Windhorst said. “On nights when he’s got it, he can still be a playmaker at both ends.”
But the idea of James taking anything less than a max contract could still be seen as unlikely. On name branding alone, he could garner a massive deal, but in terms of his impact on the court, James likely isn’t worth anything more than a mid-level contract at this point in his career.
“From the Cavs’ perspective, it’s simple,” Windhorst added. “They say to LeBron, ‘If you would like to play for us, we’d love to have you, this is what we have to offer. We can offer you (a minimum or mid-level contract), and being in Cleveland.'”
It’s going to come down to how much James prioritizes his career earnings compared to having the chance to win one more championship. At this point, regardless of whether he stays with the Lakers or not, they have a low chance of winning a title with him on the team. Compared to Cleveland, in a much easier Eastern Conference, another Finals win could be more likely.
James’ future is still very much up in the air, but as time goes on, links to a Cavaliers return only grow.