LeBron James‘ run with the Cavaliers was undoubtedly magical, but it’s over.
At least, that is the theory as relayed by Joe Vardon of The Athletic. James, currently with the Lakers, led the Cavaliers to five Finals appearances and the lone championship in franchise history.
Rumors of another possible return have been running rampant lately, as James is eligible for a two-year contract extension with the Lakers (starting Thursday). As we relayed here, no one seems to have a real sense of what James will do.
If he doesn’t sign an extension, he will become a free agent next summer. Again, this has led to speculation about James returning to Cleveland to finish his career. The Akron native still owns his home in Bath, Ohio, after all.
But let’s face it, the Cavs look pretty good as is, with a young core that features the likes of All-Stars Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen, and All-Rookie member Evan Mobley. They have entered a new and promising era.
So as great as James was for the franchise, that ship appears to have sailed — and mostly in the eyes of the Cavs, it seems.
“The Cavs are not proceeding with the intention of getting LeBron for a third time,” Vardon wrote.
For starters, James turns 38-years old in December. He can still score with the best of them, averaging 30.3 points last season. But even he has admitted that wherever he goes, drama seems to follow.
Right now, the Cavs are drama-free, and president of basketball operations Koby Altman is very much in charge of assembling the roster. The Cavs are both developing talent and on the rise, and last season’s inspirational season was largely based on fit.
When you bring in a megastar such as James, as great as he remains, fit can become an issue. Not always, but sometimes, and the Cavs would probably be wise to keep building what they have and not blow it up for a short-term fix.
That appears to be their approach, and the ongoing rumors involving James are likely to remain exactly that — rumors, and nothing more.
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Funny…..Cavs are drama free and they are also PLAYOFF FREE right now as well.
It takes a team with a strong culture & strong leaders to handle big time stars. Warriors have constant drama with Draymond….especially when KD was there.
Cavs went to finals how many times with LBJ? JR? Tristan?
Leonard created drama with Spurs. Parker created off court drama.
Pistons we’re loaded with strong personalities and drama during championship years.
Man…give me an owner, team President and GM equipped to manage strong personalities because besides Bucks last year, how many championship winners had players who didn’t cause drama on and off court?