The Cleveland Cavaliers are still fresh off the biggest deal of the season so far, but their plans go well beyond this week’s trade deadline. In fact, in just a few months, the Cavaliers hope to begin the pursuit of none other than LeBron James himself.
According to Cavaliers Nation, both Donovan Mitchell and new Cavs guard James Harden plan to play a role in recruiting LeBron James back to Cleveland. The 41-year-old superstar, who will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, has been tied to the Cavs, among other teams, as his Lakers tenure wraps up to a close.
While James could opt to retire this summer, it’s widely believed he’ll return for at least one more season, and the Cavaliers seem like the obvious team to end things with. It was with the Cavaliers, over 20 years ago, that LeBron first joined the NBA, and now they are in a prime position to bring him back for the third, and likely final, time of his career.
Unlike in previous years, the Cavs have both the means and the motive to sign LeBron James. They’ve assembled an elite roster in his absence, led by Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen. That group led the Cavs to a 64-18 record last season, marking one of the greatest regular-seasons in franchise history. Now, in the aftermath of the Darius Garland trade, the Cavaliers are in an even better position to make a run that will lure LeBron back.
With NBA veteran and former MVP James Harden in the mix, the Cavaliers just got even stronger, and it’s a message that they are committed to winning now. For James, that commitment to victory is especially important given how he wants to end his career. Rather than be an afterthought on a mediocre team, James wants to play a more important role on a squad he feels is fully equipped to win it all.
He can have that and more on the Cavs if they play their cards right. There’s even a way the Cavaliers can add James and trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo to create the ultimate big four in Cleveland. It’s still a pipe dream for now, but certainly not impossible as the Cavs shift their focus toward the summer.
Ultimately, only time will tell what James decides, but the Cavaliers are just one of several lucrative options. Between the Warriors, Cavaliers, Rockets, and Clippers, James will have a lot to consider as he decides where to close his historic NBA career. More than the rest, however, the Cavaliers offer James everything he could want in a final destination: one last chance to win in the place where it all began.
