The final chapter of LeBron James’ glittering career is far from written as the 37-year-old maintains his place as one of the best players in the league in his 19th season.
Defying Father Time like few before him, LeBron seemed destined to ride out his career in sunny Los Angeles and after winning his fourth championship in 2020, the move to Hollywood paid off, but is there still more to come from The King?
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It seemed unlikely that LeBron would plot a move away from Los Angeles, however, his comments at this year’s NBA All-Star Weekend (conveniently enough, in Cleveland) raised the possibility as he flirted with the idea of a second return to his home state to close the book on his NBA career.
“The door’s not closed on that,” he told The Athletic when asked about a potential return to Cleveland. “I’m not saying I’m coming back and playing, I don’t know. I don’t know what my future holds. I don’t even know when I’m free.”
Vague enough, but pointed enough to send the NBA media world into a tailspin at the thought of another homecoming.
As he held court in Cleveland, he wasn’t shy in heaping praise on the Cavaliers front office, further adding fuel to the rumor mill.
“I think Koby [Altman] and those guys have done an unbelievable job drafting and making trades,” LeBron added. “I think big fella [Jarrett Allen], that acquisition was amazing for them to make that trade.
“Obviously, Darius Garland is a big-time player. And I think the role that Kevin [Love] is playing right now has kind of uplifted those young guys, seeing a veteran that could sacrifice, a champion that’s won a championship, all the things that he’s done, to come off the bench and play this role. I am not surprised by anything that they’re doing right now.”
As it stands, the Lakers are a franchise in turmoil, scraping their way to the Play-In Tournament with an aging roster, limited draft capital and next to no roster flexibility alongside Russell Westbrook and Anthony Davis’ contracts.
With LeBron still playing at an elite level, a move back to Cleveland would, on paper at least, give him a better chance of adding to his championship resume. It would also give him the opportunity to potentially play alongside his son Bronny, something he has openly stated he wants to do before he calls time on his career.
LeBron back to Cleveland…again? It’s not that crazy.
LeBron James’ contract with Lakers
LeBron signed a two-year, $85 million contract extension in 2020, which takes him through to the end of the 2022-23 season, giving the Lakers at least one more season to maximize what’s left of his seemingly never-ending prime.
Averaging 29.7 points, 8.2 rebounds and 6.2 assists on 52.2 percent from the field and 35.7 percent from the 3-point line, LeBron has been as productive as ever this season, however, the Lakers’ on-court struggles, combined with their limited roster flexibility paint a tricky picture for re-tooling his supporting cast. As it stands, they are hamstrung in paying their Big 3 of LeBron, Russell Westbrook and Anthony Davis — a combined $129 million next season.
The Lakers have kept their books relatively clean from 2023 onwards and if Talen Horton-Tucker opts out of the final year of his contract ahead of the 2023-24 season, the Lakers will have approximately $72 million of cap space to build around Davis. If LeBron – who is eligible for a two-year, $97.1 million extension – opts to stay in Los Angeles, the franchise’s cap space number drops to $26 million.
His current deal does not include a no-trade clause, however, the thought of the Lakers pulling the trigger on a deal for LeBron seems highly unlikely.
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Cavaliers roster is ready to take the leap
The Cavs surprised plenty of people this season, emerging as a legitimate playoff team in the Eastern Conference and given their young nucleus, they’re way ahead of schedule.
Already boasting the fourth-ranked defense in the NBA this season, the Cavs’ core is built for the long-term. Adding a player of LeBron’s talent, playmaking and experience would take them from an upstart first-round playoff team to a team that would blend in with the best in the league.
Slotting LeBron alongside Darius Garland (22 years old), Caris LeVert (27), Jarrett Allen (23) and Rookie of the Year frontrunner Evan Mobley (20) would be a dream scenario for the Cavs. Add that to a youngster in Isaac Okoro (21) and veterans in Cedi Osman (26), Rajon Rondo (36) and Kevin Love (33), the latter two of which he has already won championships alongside, and you have a balanced core of youth and experience to make a run.
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Lauri Markkanen (24) would be the odd man out in this scenario. Moving the forward would help create $36.4 million in cap space for LeBron, meaning they would still need a few moves here or there, depending on the type of contract he would sign.
The Lakers were supposed to be a team that would allow LeBron to cede his role as a No.1 option and hand the keys to Davis and Westbrook, however, in Year 19, he’s still shouldering the majority of the offensive responsibility, averaging 37 minutes a night, which ranks fourth in the NBA. Playing alongside the young Cavs would allow him to take on more of a playmaking role and allow their talented young group to carry more of the load — potentially extending his career even further.
Cavaliers future draft picks
“My last year will be played with my son. Wherever Bronny is at, that’s where I’ll be. I would do whatever it takes to play with my son for one year. It’s not about the money at that point.”
LeBron made it clear that his priority at this point is to share the court with his eldest son, Bronny, once he’s drafted into the NBA and theoretically, the Lakers could acquire a pick to make that happen. Right now, they only have 2027 and 2029 first-round picks in their war chest after shipping a ton of their draft assets to New Orleans to acquire Davis.
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Meanwhile, the Cavs own their first-round picks through 2028 and a second-round pick in each year through 2027, including two in the upcoming draft, giving them the flexibility to not only make trades to accommodate LeBron, but also potentially bring Bronny to The Land in 2024 when he becomes draft-eligible.
Bronny is currently the 43rd-ranked player in the high school class of 2023, so he has a ways to go before he’s ready for the NBA, but if taking him meant you also land LeBron, plenty of teams around the league will no doubt take that opportunity for a historic 2-for-1 deal.
Would there be any place more fitting for that to happen than Cleveland?