The Cleveland Cavaliers didn’t win the LeBron James free agency sweepstakes, as he prepared for his 24th season in the NBA with the Philadelphia 76ers.
Over the weekend, much has been made of LeBron’s decision to skip over Cleveland for his fourth NBA franchise.
At the end of the day, it feels like the Cavaliers didn’t do enough to convince LeBron that their roster was ready to seriously contend for a championship. Even though the Cavs were in the Eastern Conference Finals just a few months ago, LeBron feels like the 76ers give him his best chance at winning a fifth championship.
Who deserves the blame?
Cavs President of Basketball Operations Koby Altman has been under a microscope after the organization missed out on LeBron. According to 92.3 the Fan’s Anthony Lima, Altman was on vacation when he learned that LeBron was picking Philadelphia instead of Cleveland.
But NBA insider Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson had a more concerning report.
According to Robinson, Cleveland’s backcourt structure concerned LeBron’s inner circle. Some confidants of LeBron shared surprise that the Cavaliers decided not to trade Donovan Mitchell, who was recently handed a four-year $273 million maximum contract extension.
“If the Cavs still had Darius Garland in Cleveland and moved Mitchell in a trade to Jaylen Brown, there’s a good chance that LeBron James would be in Cleveland next to Garland, Jaylen Brown and Evan Mobley.”
Superagent Rich Paul played a big role in the Cavaliers moving on from Garland, who was traded at the deadline to the Los Angeles Clippers for James Harden. The Sixers have been a safe haven for Klutch Sports clients, including All-Star guard Tyrese Maxey. If the Cavaliers would’ve committed to Garland instead of Mitchell, LeBron would potentially have been drawn to the Cavs.
But the Cavs kept Mitchell. And double downed on him as the organization’s best player with that big contract extension inked at the beginning of July. Yet, Robinson’s reporting detailed that LeBron’s inner circle doesn’t view Mitchell as a true No. 1 option in the NBA.
Oh boy... https://t.co/vse4KAQs5M pic.twitter.com/5FTFHFNxZC
— Nick Wilson (@NickWilsonSays) July 27, 2026
The Boston Celtics swapped Brown for Paul George and draft compensation. The Cavs could’ve had a way more compelling offer that would’ve fixed their wing issue by acquiring Brown, and then finished the storybook ending by adding LeBron in free agency.
Altman has shown commitment to his core, including Mitchell and Mobley. This offseason, the Cavaliers could've traded Mobley in a blockbuster to land Giannis Antetokounmpo. They could've swapped Mitchell for Brown.
Without LeBron, he’ll need both of them to improve come postseason time, especially in a loaded Eastern Conference.
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