Cavaliers power forward Kevin Love is the last remaining member of the 2016 title team. But he thinks it would make sense for LeBron James to return a third time.
“I mean, that’s like a storybook ending for him,” Love told Mark Carman of FanSided. “I don’t want to project what he may or may not want to do, but where our team is trending and how we’re set up to win for a very long time and how much you know, Cleveland and Akron and all of Ohio loves him. It’d be great to get Bronny over here too and then we’ll call it a day.”
James, 37, hinted at a return to the Cavs at the All-Star break in February. He later implied his comments were blown out of proportion.
But Love makes a valid point. When entirely healthy, the Cavs of Darius Garland, Jarrett Allen, Evan Mobley and others are clearly a team on the rise.
James and the Lakers on the other hand … yeah, not so much. LA may not even make the play-in tournament this year and is expected to fire coach Frank Vogel after the season.
The question is, would the Cavs even want James back? And what would they have to give up to get him?
For now, it’s all speculation, regardless of what’s said or written. For better or worse, James is under contract with the Lakers until he’s 39. If the Cavs wanted him, or he wanted out of LA, parts would have to move.
With the way things are going for the Cavs, it would be understandable if they decided to leave well enough alone. As great as James is, his presence tends to change the course of a franchise.
As for the other members of the 2016 team, Love said they do indeed stay in touch via group text messages.
“We have six of us on there,” Love told Carman. “It’s pretty much like the big the super veteran guys that were on that team. We definitely have a great text chain that we had that that we love.”
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