LeBron James' situation entering the offseason is complicated.
Even if the four-time NBA champion forward wants to continue playing in the league, he must then decide whether to finish his career with the Los Angeles Lakers or a different NBA franchise.
Athlon Sports’ Paul White believes the 6-foot-9 phenom should ditch his son, Bronny, and the Lakers in favor of a summer reunion with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
"The 21-time All-Star has a ($52.6 million) player option, which opens a whole new can of worms for the Lakers, potentially losing their best player for nothing,” White wrote Saturday.
"If James does end up leaving, then there isn’t a much better landing spot than the Cleveland Cavaliers. He has already completed two separate stints in his hometown, but this one would be for his farewell tour.”
"The hardest hurdle to jump for this potential pairing would be the salary cap, but it is hard to believe that the Cavs wouldn’t move heaven and Earth to get their king back to the land."
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"They have an elite floor general in Darius Garland, a bona fide Robin in Donovan Mitchell, and an extremely versatile wing in Evan Mobley. For the first time in a long time, James would be able to cruise in the back seat and just enjoy the ride.”
Cleveland is where it all started for James. In 2003, the Cavaliers selected the 22-year veteran with the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA draft.
Although James initially failed to help Cleveland make franchise history, he proved he could be a superstar in the big leagues.
James received six All-Star nods, the 2004 NBA Rookie of the Year award, and made an NBA finals appearance with the Cavaliers during his first stint.
After parting with Cleveland in 2010 and spending four seasons with the Miami Heat, James returned to the Cavaliers in 2014. The do-it-all 6-foot-9 forward guided the organization to its first-ever title during the 2015-16 campaign.
Under the four-time MVP’s leadership, Cleveland overcame a 3-1 NBA finals deficit and defeated a Golden State Warriors squad that won 73 regular-season contests.
Now that James is on his last leg with the Lakers and has a pending offseason decision, it’s fun to envision the future Hall of Famer finishing his career with the same franchise he started it with.
However, with James’ 20-year-old son being under contract with the Lakers for two more seasons, it’s unlikely he’ll pass up an opportunity to spend another season by his side in Los Angeles (if he’s open to returning for his 23rd campaign).
James’ 2025 offseason will be monitored by the public closely.
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