If Lakers call it quits, should the Cavs trade for LeBron?
Would the Cavs trade Lakers for LeBron?
The Cavaliers don’t have anyone on their roster like LeBron James. Their ball-handlers and playmakers are all small guards, with Caris LeVert the tallest at 6’6″ but who plays like a small guard. Their combo forwards are players like Dean Wade and Lamar Stevens who can defend burly forwards but their offensive role is as low-usage options.
LeBron would instantly change that, giving the Cavs another perimeter option but with the size to overwhelm opponents on defense. James’ defense has slipped as he has aged, but he is still at his best when he can fly around the court in help defense because of a rim protector at his back. That activity could help make up for the Cavs’ weakness defensively in the backcourt.
On offense, the three elite attacking options would stretch most defenses to the breaking point, and the Cavs have proven they have good shooting that can help to maximize James.
Adding LeBron James doesn’t happen for free, however. The Cavs have to send back a large amount of matching salary in such a deal, and there has to be some sort of value to make the Lakers trade a star. James’ value in a deal is significantly less than even someone like Donovan Mitchell because of his age, but he is still worth something, especially to a team like the Cavs ready to contend now.
If the Lakers wanted young talent, it seems like a non-starter for the Cavs to move Mitchell, Darius Garland or Evan Mobley in a deal. What if the Lakers ask for a deal around Jarrett Allen and Caris LeVert? Are the Cavs willing to move Allen to get back James? It would be a vote of confidence in Evan Mobley as a rim protector. Would a starting lineup of Garland, Mitchell, Dean Wade, James and Mobley be an improvement?
The other direction is if the Lakers desire pure cap space the most. In that scenario, the Cavs could send a handful of second-round picks, jimmy the protections to offer a pick swap and put together a package of LeVert and Kevin Love. Both are on expiring deals, and the Lakers could make a huge swing in free agency.
That would be better for the Cavs from a lineup perspective, with James able to step in as the starting small forward. The Cavs would maintain a high-level defense with Allen still on the back line, but would certainly feel the loss of Love’s leadership and shooting.
The Lakers might have better offers from elsewhere, but if they do like the Cavs’ offer, what does Cleveland do? If it’s Allen on the line, he seems too crucial to the Cavs’ defensive identity and Mobley isn’t necessarily ready to handle that alone as a second-year player. If the Lakers truly are on board with just Love and LeVert? That’s a close call; I think the Cavs have to say yes in that scenario, but it’s certainly not an easy call.