The Cleveland Cavaliers shocked the world when they traded for James Harden. Not many people thought Harden would be on the move, and even fewer thought he'd take his talents to Northeast Ohio. However, it didn't happen overnight.
ESPN insider Brian Windhorst told Emmett Golden on ESPN Cleveland Radio that the Cavaliers actually considered that possibility for weeks. In fact, they believe that he can make an impact on the team for years to come.
Windhorst added that the Cavs are just starting to figure out what they can do with Harden on the team, and that may include making a big splash in the offseason. That's why he wouldn't shut down Golden's dream of getting not only LeBron James but also Giannis Antetokounmpo next summer.
Cavaliers could be cooking up a superteam in Cleveland
Even though he stayed with the Milwaukee Bucks, the Giannis trade saga might be far from over. Just days after celebrating that he wouldn't be traded, he acknowledged that he could still leave at some point. Now, with a big-money extension looming large and coming off an injury-riddled season, the Bucks may change their stance on their franchise superstar.
As for LeBron, the writing has been on the wall for months now. He'll be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, and the Los Angeles Lakers seem more than happy to roll with Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves at the helm. Another homecoming would be the perfect movie-like scenario for James' incredible career.
Granted, this would probably require parting ways with Evan Mobley to make the numbers work. It's hard to envision any scenario in which the Bucks willingly give up Giannis unless Mobley is the centerpiece of the trade package. That would be a big blow, but that's the type of swing Koby Altman may have to take to lead this team back to the mountaintop.
The Cavs already let Donovan Mitchell know they're for real. They traded a 26-year-old homegrown All-Star because they wanted to make a run at a championship now, and that should be more than enough to convince him to sign a contract extension.
Now that Harden has elevated this team's floor and still has plenty of pull at this point in his career, building another superteam in Cleveland looks like a realistic possibility. Some dominoes might need to fall, and there will be some financial juggling along the way, but the Cavs could be the team to beat in the Eastern Conference again pretty soon.