Should the Cavs Fans Be Thinking About a LeBron Return?

The Cleveland Cavaliers are surprisingly in the playoff picture this season, as many people had them finishing at the bottom of the league at the beginning of this season.

However, the emergence of Darius Garland, Jarrett Allen, and Evan Mobley has this team well ahead of schedule as well as the rejuvenated play of Kevin Love.

Since the Cavs are in this position, and the Los Angeles Lakers are floundering, the question that has been raised recently is that should LeBron James be considering a return to Cleveland for not a second, but third stint?

It’s not the craziest idea, as James is from Ohio and we all know that he can single-handedly turn a non-contending team into a contender overnight.

Why Both Parties Should Reunite

When James left Cleveland (again) back in 2018, the writing was on the wall. Kyrie Irving had already moved on, and the team was in no position to contend for titles any time soon, so it made sense for James to move on to the Lakers to try and win at least one more championship, which he was able to accomplish.

However, this is a completely different Cavs team than the one James left, with Garland establishing himself as one of the best young point guards in the league, Allen being a dominant force with his interior scoring and rim protection, and Mobley showing flashes of being an absolutely great scorer. 

This team is already showing that they’re good enough to make the playoffs, and perhaps win at least one round.

This would also be a good storybook ending to James’ illustrious career, as he would have one more opportunity to represent his home state and do his farewell tour in front of the fans that have embraced him since he was 18 years old. It would be even sweeter if he brought them at least one more championship, as the pieces are in place for that to happen if James is added to the mix.

How Realistic is it?

Despite how bad things are in L.A. right now, James doesn’t appear ready to leave just yet. He’s under contract until 2023 anyway.

However, he’s still performing like an MVP candidate at the ripe age of 37 years old, as he is known for taking great care of his body and doing everything he can to age gracefully.

It also wouldn’t be hard to see James wanting a change after next season, barring any big trade the Lakers would make, as this team as currently constructed just doesn’t appear ready to compete for a championship any time soon.

If James wanted to be traded to Cleveland, the Cavs would likely have to trade at least one of Garland, Allen, and Mobley. Given how well that young trio is meshing, it appears unlikely that the Cavs would entertain trading them for anybody except for a young superstar like Luka Doncic.

If Cleveland continues to perform as well as they have been recently, then LeBron may be swayed to return to Cleveland given the marketing opportunities to go along with on-court success.

The bottom line is that the only realistic path for “The King” to return to Cleveland is through free agency because there’s no way the Lakers would trade him without any meaningful assets coming back in return.