While most Cleveland Cavaliers fans may want LeBron James back in town, it's impossible not to acknowledge the elephant in the room. Truth be told, it's hard to believe he won't push whomever he signs with to also trade for Bronny.
For some teams, adding Bronny to the mix shouldn't be much of a problem. Yes, he's a borderline rotation player, but some teams are also trying to fill roster spots. Notably, that's not the case with the Cavaliers.
As Joe Vardon of The Athletic explained, this would likely cost the Cavs Dennis Schroder and Max Strus. While swallowing this pill to bring back the greatest player in franchise history would be a price worth paying, it's still a problem.
The Cavaliers would have to part ways with two veterans for Bronny James
“As of right now, with Dennis and Max still on the roster, they have 14 roster spots. It’s being reported, not by me, but it makes sense and aligns with past conversations I’ve had, that if LeBron came [in Cleveland], there would be interest in Bronny, whose contract has been guaranteed,” Vardon said on 92.3 The Fan.
Admittedly, moving on from Schroder might be a classic case of addition by subtraction. He got off to a strong start to his tenure in Cleveland, but he became borderline unplayable toward the end of the season and in the playoffs.
Strus' case, however, is entirely different. He showed in and showed out every day, especially in the postseason. He's one of the team's most vocal and beloved veterans, and his 3-and-D skill set and streaky shooting have come in handily for Kenny Atkinson's team more often than not.
Again, that's something you just do if that's the price to pay to get LeBron James back on the team. That said, bringing him along like baggage certainly won't help with Bronny's already-stained reputation.
Bronny can play defense and get some minutes here and there, but he has yet to justify his presence in the NBA. What started out as a great story and a testament to James' longevity turned into debates about nepotism and mockery of his firstborn.
Following his father across the country won't do much to change that narrative. It would be one thing if both were free agents, but forcing his new team to give up assets to get him, even though they clearly don't need him, isn't a good look at all. He may have already done that with the Lakers.
At the end of the day, having James in Cleveland will outweigh losing Schroder and Strus, and the Cavs won't hesitate to pull the trigger if that's what it takes. That doesn't make it right or any less painful a loss.
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