by There would be no more perfect ending than LeBron James capping off his illustrious career with a third and final chapter in his hometown.
It would be the stuff of legends, watching ‘The King’ turn 42 years of age on the court of Rocket Arena, tossing a wave of white chalk into the air to the sound of thunderous applause. James riding off into the sunset, satisfied knowing that whether or not his Cleveland Cavaliers win the title in 2027, he will hang up his sneakers in the city that introduced him into the world, and loved him every step of the way-just don’t ask the fans about the years of 2010-2013.
This dream of an opportunity is up for grabs for the Cavaliers, but if they want it, they will have to work for it.
We’ve already heard plenty of discussion that for whatever team wants to court The King, they will have to pay the ransom. Even at his old age, the services of James are at the same expensive premium of roughly $60 million, and that is a number that Cleveland cannot pop out of the sky.
To haul in this amazing dream scenario, the Cavaliers would have to part ways with one of their heavy contracts, much like a trade scenario for Giannis Antetokounmpo that was surmised as a possibility for Cleveland. However, reports have come out and proclaimed that a Cavs-Bucks swap for the ‘Greek Freak’ is no longer possible, which keeps the young Evan Mobley in-town for the foreseeable future.
Bringing in James would require a decent-sized sign-and-trade, and first up on the chopping block to go from Cleveland to California would be Jarrett Allen.
Allen is currently on a three-year, $90 million contract that brings in an average salary of over $30 million. The Lakers are and have been in desperate need of a longtime big man, and Allen would bring in a veteran presence and an All-Star capable of hauling in boards and playing solid defense.
To further match the salaries, Los Angeles may consider Max Strus or Sam Merrill as a high-quality replacement for the upcoming free agent Luke Kennard. The two play similar roles as off-the-bench or semi-starting sharpshooters who can shoot from will on the right night. Veteran guard Dennis Schroder could also be a nice finishing touch to the sign-and-trade, pushing the salary just over $60 million and giving James a really friendly deal for his final season.
So, we have the trade pieces in place, but is the deal realistic, and does James want to finish his career here?
More recently, the Akron-native posted to his Instagram story a highlight reel of the Cavaliers’ 2016 championship team during Game 3 of the NBA Finals on May 28, with the caption “WHAT A F*N TEAM MAN!!!”. While this may just be James reminiscing on a nostalgic memory on the anniversary of it, Cleveland fans have already begun to use this clip as evidence of his return.
The return of James would be absolutely beloved by fans across Cleveland, which may play a huge role in that decision. But the move does not come without questions.
For one, after building a huge profile of business and film during his time in Los Angeles, James may be able to haul in more money, spending his final year in Hollywood instead of Northeast Ohio. He has built such a large footprint in Southern California, so it may just be easier to keep the James family there instead of relocating them back to Cleveland for the third time in his career.
Also, what if James’s presence back on the Cavaliers isn’t enough for them to get over the hump and win the second championship in franchise history? It may seem like the no-brainer call to pick Cleveland, led by Mobley, James, and the backcourt tandem of Donovan Mitchell and James Harden, as championship favorites, but this team was just brutally mopped up by the New York Knicks in four games.
It might just be the vibes pick, but James ending his career in Cleveland just “feels right”. Los Angeles has all the power in the world to cave and give King James a huge contract in his final season, but if they want to start the Luka Doncic era on the right foot with resources and space to allow him to be the fully-immersed face of the franchise, then why not sign-and-trade him over to The Land?
