LeBron James stirred the pot on Monday by visiting Cleveland to watch the Cavaliers take on the Celtics in the playoffs. Predictably, speculation immediately began ramping up on whether his attendance signified something deeper about a return to his hometown team.
This isn't the first time that a LeBron reunion has been discussed. In 2022, he told Jason Lloyd of The Athletic that "the door's not closed" on a return home.
The 20-time All-Star's contract status adds even more intrigue to the situation. He has a $51.4 million player option that he could opt out of, making him an unrestricted free agent. Could that open up a pathway to ending his career back where he started it? And would the Lakers allow that to happen?
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How the Cavaliers can acquire LeBron James
Free agency
If James did opt out of his contract, then the Cavs wouldn't be able to sign him without a lot of help from other teams. He's going to command a starting salary of $50 million or more. The Cavaliers are projected to have only their $12.9 million mid-level exception available to spend, which is far short of what they'd need.
That means Cleveland would have to shed a ton of salary via trade in order to clear space to sign James. It could theoretically do that, trading away good players like Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen to teams with ample cap space like the Pistons or Spurs without receiving another player back. More realistically, the Cavaliers would execute some sort of sign-and-trade with the Lakers.
Lakers sign-and-trades
The Cavaliers have some very good pieces that they could send out in a trade for James. These playoffs have reinforced yet again that their players, while talented, don't fit well together.
Donovan Mitchell has been one of the best postseason performers, while Garland has struggled. Garland has played much better in games that Mitchell has missed, such as his 30-point performance in Game 5. The same can be true for Allen and Evan Mobley, who have too much overlapping skill and not enough shooting.
The Lakers could nab two of those guys in a sign-and-trade. LeBron is eligible for a three-year deal that would pay him up to $162 million, per ESPN's Bobby Marks. The Cavs would have to ship out salary to match his roughly $50 million.
Here's how the Cavaliers could do it.
The perfect LeBron James to Cavaliers trade
Why the Lakers would do it
A sign-and-trade doesn't work without the Lakers' cooperation. If James really did demand to go to Cleveland, he has enough cachet for Los Angeles to accommodate that request. But it would have to be worth the franchise's while. Garland and Allen would check that box.
Garland is only a few years removed from being an All-Star and one of the most promising young point guards in the league. He's needed the ball in his hands to be at his best, which hasn't happened much with Mitchell. He's a very good passer and a terrific shooter who would pair well with Anthony Davis.
The Lakers have needed an upgrade at point guard, and Garland is one of the best buy-low candidates in the league.
Allen is a former All-Star as well who had some Defensive Player of the Year buzz this season. The offensive fit with Davis would not be great, but he could be moved to a third team down the line if he has the same problems as what happened with Mobley. Plus, Davis and Allen would be an insane defense. Allen could also be good insurance in the event that Davis misses games.
This gives the Lakers a chance to get younger and add depth. They're not replacing LeBron if he wants to leave, but this gets them in about as good a position as possible. They do not have control of their 2025 and 2027 picks, so bottoming out doesn't make much sense for them. They can retool on the fly with this package.
Why the Cavaliers would do it
James was still a top 15 player even at the age of 39. He's always made his teams better than the sum of their parts.
This Cavaliers team is capable of playing at championship contention level — they won 16 of 17 games earlier in the season. They haven't been able to hit that level consistently, particularly in these playoffs. LeBron would get them there.
Why LeBron James would do it
If LeBron wants to get back to the Finals, he has a better chance to do it in Cleveland than in Los Angeles.
The Lakers barely made the playoffs and were not terribly competitive in losing in five games to the Nuggets in the first round. They do have three first-round picks available after the draft to make upgrades to their team, but that probably still won't be enough to get them past the top teams in the West.
Cleveland faces a much easier battle to get to the Finals in a weaker Eastern Conference. Aside from Boston, every team has major flaws. Getting the Cavs back to the Finals would create a storybook ending for LeBron's career, and this roster is good enough to do it if he joins.
James would get his money, a better team and another chance to play the savior role in Ohio.