Could the Cavaliers make a blockbuster move before attempting to bring LeBron James back to Cleveland?
It’s an idea ESPN’s Brian Windhorst raised during the network’s NBA free agency coverage Tuesday night.
Windhorst floated a scenario in which the Cavs would first acquire Celtics star Jaylen Brown, then pursue James in free agency.
“That’s the type of move you’re going to do to get LeBron James’ attention,” Windhorst said, via RealGM.
The longtime NBA insider wasn’t reporting that such discussions are taking place. Rather, he was describing the type of aggressive move he believes could separate Cleveland from the rest of the teams hoping to sign James.
As Hoops Wire has previously reported, the Cavs remain among the clubs linked to James after he informed the Lakers he will not return next season.
Meanwhile, the Celtics have continued exploring Brown’s trade market, with multiple reports indicating Boston has spoken with interested teams while evaluating its options.
Windhorst suggested a deal centered on Cavs big man Evan Mobley could be the type of blockbuster framework that would make sense if Cleveland wanted to dramatically reshape its roster before making a run at James.
Whether either franchise would seriously consider such a trade is another matter entirely.
In other words, Windhorst’s comments are best viewed as an intriguing concept rather than an indication that negotiations are underway. And that’s clearly how he intended them.
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Another sell the future move costing us relevance for the next decade, for one LeBron James? To impress him? So LeBron can be our best player instead of Mobley? A move for his ego alone?
Go away, Windhorst. Cavs don’t HAVE to sell out to get LeBron. Stop talking to Rich Paul. No more LeBron fantasies.
Either he wants to play here or not. That’s all there needs to be to it.