NBA Exec Can See Cavaliers ‘Going Hard’ After LeBron James Next Summer If They Don’t Win 2026 Title

August 9, 2025

LeBron James, Lakers, Cavaliers, Cavs, NBA — Imagn

If the Cavaliers fall short of the 2026 championship, one NBA executive believes they could make a serious push to bring LeBron James back to Cleveland next summer.

James, 40, will be an unrestricted free agent for the first time since 2018. He is entering the final year of his contract with the Lakers, set to make $52.6 million next season.

“Next season is a big year for Cleveland,” the executive told Cavaliers Nation. “Tyrese [Haliburton] is out. Jayson [Tatum] is most likely out. The East is wide open. It’s there for the Cavaliers to take. They should win the conference next season. There’s no excuses. And once you get to the Finals, anything can happen. I actually think they match up really well against OKC.

“I’ll tell you this right now: If the Cavaliers don’t win it all next season, I can see them going hard after LeBron. Everyone knows Dan [Gilbert] wants to win a title without him, but if they can’t, adding LeBron to that group would be a cheat code. I know he’ll be 42, but it’s LeBron. He will always be an elite force.”

James has already had two stints with the Cavs — from 2003-10 and 2014-18 — winning the franchise’s lone championship in 2016. The Akron native is the NBA’s all-time leading scorer and averaged 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds and 8.2 assists last season, earning All-NBA Second Team honors at age 40.

If he were to return, a projected Cleveland starting five could feature Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, James, Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley — a lineup with which any team would have trouble.