It is no secret that LeBron James is nearing the end of his illustrious NBA career. At 41-years-old, retirement is right around the corner.
The King will become a free agent this summer, and will likely want to finish his career on a team with a legitimate shot at getting him his fifth NBA championship. As fate would have it, Cleveland might be the ideal spot for LeBron to wrap up his career. The Cavs were just swept by the Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals, and are in need of a veteran leader with championship pedigree to help them get over the top.
Donovan Mitchell was asked about the possibility of a LeBron homecoming, shortly after his team was eliminated by the Knicks Monday night.
“That [question] is not for me,” an agitated Mitchell said. “I’m not going to answer that. That’s a Koby Altman question, that’s a Mike Gansey question. Because I know no matter what I say, no matter how I say it, no matter how I try to navigate it, it’s going to be a thing … All I know is what we’ve got in the locker room and I’ll ride with those guys every single day of the week.”
The Cavs should have some flexibility to make major moves this summer if and when James Harden restructures his contract.
“[The Cavs] can get inventive,” ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said Tuesday on Get Up. “James Harden is going to be a Cav next year. He’s going to opt out and sign a new deal, and that new deal will probably be structured in a way that allows the Cavs to dip below the second apron. Once they’ve done that they can make a major trade. Is that a sign-and-trade deal for LeBron James? Is it another star player? Would they enter the Giannis Antetokounmpo sweepstakes? Would they try to trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo and then try to convince LeBron James to come over on a vastly reduced contract? Or would they just try to bring it all back?”
Other teams in the LeBron mix
LeBron re-signing with the Lakers is still very much on the table.
Another top option for LeBron is signing with the Warriors. LeBron is friends with Draymond Green, has stated in the past that he would love to play with Steph Curry, and there has been smoke surrounding LeBron-to-Golden-State for months. The Athletic’s Sam Amick said in March that the Warriors’ pursuit of James this summer will be “serious.”
On Monday, Windhorst briefly mentioned the possibility of LeBron returning to the Heat. The Knicks or Spurs could become destinations for LeBron as well if either comes up short in their pursuit of the Larry O’Brien Trophy in the next few weeks.
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