LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers
Photo by Amy Sussman/Getty Images
LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers
LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers will always be linked together. The aging superstar is an Akron native. He’s a former first overall draft pick for the franchise, and he’s won a championship while wearing a Cavaliers uniform. They will forever be linked together in the history books.
Interestingly, there may be one final chapter for LeBron and Cleveland that remains to be written. LeBron’s tenure with the Los Angeles Lakers is looking like it’s on shaky ground. And all summer long, there’s been rumblings that he could be on the way out of the Lakers franchise, despite opting into his $52.6 million player option.
In an August 8 episode of ESPN’s First Take, Stephen A. Smith urged LeBron to consider returning to the Cavaliers for a third run with the franchise.
“Getting specifically to LeBron…Why don’t you just come back to Cleveland and end your career?” Smith said. “This cannot be disputed, he’d have a better chance of winning the championship in Cleveland than he would in L.A…You come back to Cleveland. You bring the chip back to Cleveland, and you say goodbye as a five-time champion…If LeBron was back in Cleveland, Cleveland is the favorite.”
Assuming the Cavaliers managed to retain both Evan Mobley and Donovan Mitchell while adding LeBron to the rotation, they would undoubtedly emerge as the dominant force in the Eastern Conference.
Cavaliers Can’t Trade For LeBron James
While the dream of LeBron returning to the Cavaliers is captivating, the reality is far harsher. The Cavaliers are a second-apron luxury tax team. One of the restrictions that comes with having such a hefty payroll is that you’re unable to aggregate multiple salaries in the trade market.
Therefore, any trade for LeBron would have to be a one-for-one, which is impossible given the Cavaliers’ current contract structure. In fact, Cleveland wouldn’t even be able to sign him if he was bought out of his contract. The current Collective Barganing Agreement prohibits second-round teams from signing a player off the buyout market if his previous contract was above the mid-level exception, which LeBron’s most certainly is.
The only loophole is that if the Cavaliers were to duck under the second apron as a result of trading for LeBron. Then, they would be allowed to aggregate salaries as part of a trade.
Cavaliers Could Target a Sharpshooter
The most likely avenue to a LeBron return to Cleveland would come during the summer of 2026. He will be a free agent and can sign with any team in the NBA. As such, the Cavaliers may look to fill their final roster spot heading into the new season. In an August 1 article, Rohan Brahmbhatt of ClutchPoints pinpointed Seth Curry as the missing piece for the Cavaliers.
“If there’s one move the Cavaliers can make to complete their roster and raise their floor in the playoffs, it’s signing Seth Curry,” Brahmbhatt wrote. “…For a team like Cleveland, which sometimes stagnates offensively in half-court playoff settings, especially when Mitchell or Garland is trapped, Curry provides crucial off-ball gravity. His mere presence on the wing stretches the floor, opens driving lanes, and gives defenses second thoughts.”
Curry is one of the best sharpshooters in the NBA. Adding him would provide some much-needed spacing within the second unit. However, Koby Altman could opt to head into the new season with an empty roster spot.
However, if shooting is something Atkinson believes the franchise needs, they would struggle to find anyone better than Curry.