With LeBron James in the final year of his contract with the Los Angeles Lakers, only one team has emerged as his next landing spot: the Cleveland Cavaliers. As time goes on, links and reports of James’ return to the Cavaliers have only grown, as the latest update on a potential return signals good news for Cleveland, on one condition.
Speaking on ESPN Cleveland Radio, NBA insider Brian Windhorst offered major news as it relates to the chances of James going back to his former team, granted, it would require the 41-year-old to accept one condition.
“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. “If he’s able and willing, and is willing to accept that money, I think it’s 99%.”
Windy notes that LeBron would have to probably accept a minimum contract in Cleveland.
While the league’s all-time leading scorer has yet to publicly comment about his plans for the future, Windhorst’s report is just another piece of evidence linking James to a Cavaliers return.
LeBron James Cleveland Cavaliers Return
In what was the first major piece of news signaling a return to Cleveland for the 2016 Finals MVP, Dave McMenamin of ESPN reported that the Cavaliers would be open to a James return in the final chapter of his career.
“Multiple team and league sources told ESPN the Cavaliers would gladly welcome James back this summer if he wanted to return to Cleveland for his 24th NBA season and third stint with the team,” he wrote amid James and the Lakers playing his old team earlier in the regular season.
Additionally, there has been a report that both Donovan Mitchell and James Harden have been recruiting James to return to the Cavaliers and close out his career where it started, in a storybook fashion.
“All-Star guards Donovan Mitchell and James Harden are expected to recruit LeBron James to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the offseason,” Ashish Mathur of CavaliersNation wrote.“James becomes an unrestricted free agent this offseason for the first time since 2018. If the future Hall of Famer doesn’t retire from the NBA, the Cavaliers are expected to heavily pursue James in free agency, sources said.”
However, the condition that James would likely have to return to Cleveland on a minimum, or even mid-level contract, is hard to imagine, despite his massive career earnings.
“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.'”
LeBron would then have a storybook ending retirement tour on a true title-contending team where it all started.
But despite all the rumors and speculation linking James to a return to Cleveland, the star has yet to publicly decide on his future.
LeBron James Lakers Future
At the same time, the reports of James eyeing a return to the Cavaliers have heated up; what is perhaps more clear is that his time with the Lakers is coming to an end.
Whether it be the comments made by a number of top NBA insiders, Lakers owner Jeanie Buss saying James hasn’t given an indication about returning to the team, or the star himself failing to recommit to the franchise, he looks to be playing his final season in Los Angeles.
“Never say never, but you know, he certainly hasn’t given an indication,” she said in an interview with CNBC. “He’s earned the right to decide how his career will go, and you know, he continues to impress.”
James was named an All-Star this season, but at this point in his career, as would be the case with the Cavaliers, his returning to the Lakers on anything more than a mid-level contract would hinder the team’s ability to build for the future around Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.
“The first thing they have to do is move off LeBron,” an Eastern Conference executive said to Dave McMenamin of ESPN. “Let him walk and use the space to retool around Luka. Keeping Reaves is critical.”
There will be no conclusion on James’ next plans until he announces them himself, but as the days go on, rumors of a return to Cleveland only continue to grow.
Cavaliers Get Great News On LeBron James Return, ‘99%’ On One Condition