Nick Wright’s bold advice on First Things First was simple: LeBron James should leave Luka Doncic and the Los Angeles Lakers, reunite with the Cleveland Cavaliers, and chase another title in the Eastern Conference. Wright framed it as a no-brainer, pointing out a unique window of opportunity that simply doesn’t exist out West.
“I want to talk about Cleveland for a second. Because you can’t run it back. You can’t expect it to be different.”
“You do have, right now, a massive opening in the Eastern Conference because Giannis might be on the move and Tatum, sadly, we now know what we feared yesterday, which is a torn Achilles, which probably means next year’s gone… One team. You’re talking about these as opposed to ten in the West.”
“And their starting small forward, much like their previous starting small forward when they were down 3-1, sent a group text along the lines of, ‘If you don’t think we can do it, don’t get on the plane.'”
“Now, the previous small forward responded to that by himself having the greatest three-game stretch in the history of the league. This small forward responded to it by going 0-for-9 and scoring zero points. Sorry, Max Strus.”
“Just go home, Bron. He’s from the area. It’s year 23. No one can say he’s front running. They just haven’t, in the entirety that the Cavs have existed, they’ve never been past Round 2 except for when he’s been there, and they’ve lived in the Finals.”
“There was a lot of chatter this year. Is this the best Cavs team ever? Is this the most fun Cavs season ever? How fun is it now? How fun was it? And by the way, it happened like this: they won their first-round series by more points than any team in the history of the league.”
“And Donovan… I think even in defeat, a compelling ‘Club Superstar’ case, is now on this very weird streak of every year he’s been in the league, he’s been in the playoffs, and every year it’s ended before the conference finals.”
“It can only happen if Bron is willing to play for close to nothing. It would really just have to be him being like, ‘You know what? I did my job in LA. I brought them a championship and helped them get the player that they then used to get the next iteration of Laker basketball. No one can say I didn’t.”
“I gave them seven years, more than I think anyone realistically expected.’ And I think, as great as Luka is, I think Bron has a better chance of winning a championship playing with the Cavs, not because the Cavs would necessarily be better, but because they would have to win two tough rounds in the playoffs: the conference finals and the NBA Finals. And the West is so deep and so hard.”
Wright emphasized that Cleveland, historically a playoff underachiever without LeBron, has only experienced Finals success when he’s been on the roster. He contrasted Max Strus’ scoreless Game 5 performance with LeBron’s iconic 2016 Finals run, reminding viewers of the greatness that came when James once rallied the Cavs from a 3–1 deficit to beat the Warriors.
Now, with Donovan Mitchell unable to get past the second round year after year, Wright sees a familiar void in leadership.
Wright’s take hinges on LeBron willingly taking a significant pay cut, potentially even signing for the minimum. That part is hard to envision. James has a $52.6 million player option with the Lakers for 2025–26, and he’s shown no indication of sacrificing earnings.
The only way a Cleveland return happens is if LeBron declines that option and signs a low-salary deal outright, which would be almost unprecedented for a star of his stature, especially with the possibility of playing with his younger son Bryce in Los Angeles in 2026.
However, Wright argued that LeBron might have a better shot at his fifth championship in the East. The West is stacked: Timberwolves, Thunder, Nuggets, Clippers, Mavericks, Warriors, and Rockets all look formidable, while the East has fewer proven playoff killers.
In Cleveland, LeBron would join a core of Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, and Donovan Mitchell. With his leadership and playmaking, the Cavs could become an immediate contender.
Still, financial reality and roster constraints present major hurdles. The Cavaliers are capped out and lack the flexibility to bring in LeBron via trade. Only a voluntary opt-out by James, followed by a minimum contract, could make the reunion possible.
From a basketball perspective, there’s logic in returning. From a legacy perspective, it would be poetic. But from a business standpoint, it’s unlikely.
Even so, Wright’s passionate pitch wasn’t entirely about feasibility, it was about emotion, nostalgia, and closing the story where it all began. And in that sense, the idea of LeBron James finishing his career in Cleveland isn’t just sentimental; it’s the kind of storyline the NBA scriptwriters would dream about.
