Cavs would make good sense if LeBron James leaves Lakers, analyst says

LeBron James returning to the Cavaliers remains a popular topic, even if a reunion appears unlikely at the moment.

Still, Bleacher Report’s Eric Pincus recently identified Cleveland as the top potential landing spot should James decide not to return to the Lakers.

“If there’s a franchise willing to pay James the required three years in a sign-and-trade deal to wind down his legendary career, it’s the Cavaliers,” Pincus wrote.

Of course, that scenario comes with several hurdles.

For starters, most league insiders continue to view the Lakers as the most likely destination if James decides to continue playing. A return to Los Angeles has been widely viewed as the expected outcome throughout much of the offseason.

Meanwhile, as ESPN’s Brian Windhorst recently noted, the Cavs lack the cap space to simply sign James outright at anything close to his market value. Any realistic path to a reunion would likely require significant roster maneuvering.

Then again, James and Cleveland have a history unlike any other.

After returning to the Cavs in 2014, James helped deliver the franchise’s first NBA championship two years later, leading Cleveland to a historic comeback from a 3-1 deficit against the 73-win Warriors in the 2016 NBA Finals.

The Cavs remain the only team in league history to overcome a 3-1 series deficit in the Finals.

So, yeah, whenever LeBron’s future becomes a topic around the NBA, the Cavs are rarely left out of the conversation.

Whether that conversation ever becomes anything more remains to be seen.

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