LeBron James seriously contemplated going back home to the Cleveland Cavaliers this summer, but ultimately chose to sign with the Philadelphia 76ers. The Cavaliers were seen as one of the likeliest landing spots for James, and NBA insider Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson says they hurt their chances by trading away Darius Garland in February.
“The calculus surrounding Cleveland shifted significantly following the blockbuster backcourt trade that sent Darius Garland to the Clippers for James Harden,” Robinson wrote. “On his podcast, Rich Paul didn’t mince words when breaking down the loss of Garland, noting, ‘The negative is, and this is no offense to Harden, no Garland, because he loves Garland like he loves Tyrese Maxey.”
James’ agent Rich Paul had made that comment on his Game Over podcast on July 3. Garland, of course, is represented by Klutch Sports Group, just like the 41-year-old. There is a connection there.
The Cavaliers, though, chose to trade Garland and a second-round pick to the Los Angeles Clippers for James Harden at last season’s deadline. NBA insider Brian Windhorst has also said he believes that trade played a role in James choosing to go elsewhere. That wasn’t the only thing, though, according to Robinson.
“Yet, the bigger structural question mark for James’ inner circle remained in the backcourt,” Robinson wrote. “As confidants of LeBron James previously shared with me, there was widespread surprise among his circle that star guard Donovan Mitchell remained on the Cavaliers’ roster and had not been moved.”
Now, there was never really a lot of chatter about a Donovan Mitchell trade. The 29-year-old made it clear he wanted to stay in Cleveland, and the Cavaliers wanted him around as well. Mitchell was true to his word, as he agreed to a massive four-year, $273 million extension. That’s a lot of money for a 6’2″ guard who will be 30 in September.
Some believe this kind of financial commitment in Mitchell, who averaged 27.9 points, 4.5 rebounds, 5.7 assists, 1.5 steals, and 0.3 blocks per game in 2025-26, was a mistake on the Cavaliers’ part. An NBA fixture told Robinson that if they had instead traded the seven-time All-Star to the Boston Celtics for Jaylen Brown and never made the Garland trade, James likely would have joined them.
“Donovan Mitchell is not a number one,” the individual said. “He’s a number one in Cleveland, he was a number one in Utah. If the Cavs still had Garland in Cleveland and moved Donovan in a trade to Jaylen Brown, there’s a good chance that LeBron James would be in Cleveland today next to Garland, Jaylen Brown and Evan Mobley.”
We do know that James only started considering the 76ers as an option after they acquired Brown. They weren’t on his radar prior to that.
Again, going back to Windhorst, he has also said not trading for Brown was one of three strikes against the Cavaliers. The other two? The Garland trade as mentioned earlier, and the fact that family wasn’t an issue in his decision.
James was removing sentimentality from the equation and looking at which team gives him the best chance of winning. To go with all that has been mentioned so far, Robinson also said the 22-time All-Star had concerns regarding fit and operational structure under Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson’s system. It sure looks like there was a lot working against them.
James, who averaged 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, 7.2 assists, 1.2 steals, and 0.6 blocks per game in 2025-26, would ultimately sign a two-year, $8 million deal with a player option for the second year with the 76ers. It was a decision that undoubtedly left many in Cleveland heartbroken. Their consolation prize? Well, the Cavaliers have landed Mario Hezonja on a one-year, $2.8 million deal. It’s something.
