LeBron James continues to be linked to the Cavaliers as he approaches free agency, but former teammate Lonzo Ball isn’t convinced a return to Cleveland is as simple as some are making it sound.
Speaking on his podcast, Ball suggested that James’ ties to Los Angeles could make any potential move difficult.
“He’s got a family and he’s in LA,” Ball said, via Ashish Mathur of Roundtable. “He’s been here for the last X amount of years. It’s hard to just pack up and then go back to Cleveland.”
James is set to enter free agency for the first time since 2018, creating plenty of speculation about what could come next for the NBA’s all-time leading scorer.
While retirement remains a possibility, many around the league believe the most realistic outcomes are either a return to the Lakers or a reunion with the Cavaliers, where James spent 11 seasons across two separate stints.
Of course, Cleveland occupies a special place in James’ basketball story.
After returning to his hometown franchise in 2014, James helped deliver the city’s first major professional sports championship in more than five decades, leading the Cavs to a historic comeback from a 3-1 deficit against the 73-win Warriors in the 2016 NBA Finals.
Recently, James described that title as the most meaningful championship of his career.
“Winning in Cleveland was a goal that I wanted to do,” James said while appearing on Bob Does Sports. “I always wanted to win one back home.”
Even so, a Cavaliers reunion faces significant hurdles. ESPN’s Brian Windhorst recently reported that James is not expected to take a substantial pay cut, while Cleveland currently has limited financial flexibility after reaching the Eastern Conference finals this season.
James, 41, remains highly productive. He averaged 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 7.2 assists for the Lakers this season and continues to perform at an All-Star level.
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