LeBron James chose the Philadelphia 76ers over the Cleveland Cavaliers.
There were other teams in the mix, to be sure, but James revealed in his announcement post that his decision was driven primarily by a desire to win a championship. If that was the criteria, then the final two teams were likely the Cavaliers and the 76ers.
Reporting has come hot and heavy about the why and the how and the who of LeBron's decision, but one detail that is particularly relevant to the Cavaliers is the road not traveled. It appears that there was a way for them to secure LeBron's commitment: trade for Kyrie Irving.
LeBron wanted to play with Kyrie
Vince Goodwill of ESPN reported on Friday that LeBron was pushing the Cavaliers to trade for his former teammate Kyrie Irving. The two teamed up in Cleveland from 2014 to 2017, reaching the NBA Finals three times and winning the title together in 2016. James may own the greatest defensive play in franchise history, but it was Kyrie whose 3-pointer over Stephen Curry became the greatest offensive play in franchise history.
Irving forced his way out of Cleveland in the summer of 2017 in a way that burned many bridges among the Cavaliers, but it appears that whatever bad blood might have existed between him and LeBron has floated under the bridge by now.
If the Cavaliers could have attached their remaining draft capital to James Harden to trade for Irving, it seems extremely likely that LeBron James would be putting on the wine and gold for a third time in his career. Instead, he has signed with the rival 76ers.
Why couldn't Cleveland pull off the trade? It appears that it was the Dallas Mavericks who shut it all down.
Dallas shut down a Kyrie trade
Per Goodwill, the Mavericks had "no interest" in engaging the Cavaliers in trade talks around Kyrie, and that Irving himself is comfortable where he is. "Where he is," of course, means on a Dallas team not expected to be competing for the playoffs this season. The Mavericks did believe in him, trading for him and extending him when few other teams were interested. At the same time, Irving is essentially lighting another year of his remaining prime on fire from a competitive standpoint.
If either the Mavericks or Irving were motivated to make a trade happen, it likely would have been done. But whether the Cavs' offer was too low or the Mavericks shut down any and all conversations immediately, nothing substantive occurred and Irving is still living in Texas. And LeBron will be living in Philadelphia (or perhaps New York and commuting).
The Cavaliers are left to pick up the pieces, presumably re-signing Harden to a painful number and trying to "run it back" without Dean Wade and Keon Ellis. Their backup plans of Jonathan Kuminga, Mario Hezonja and DeMar DeRozan sound like disappointments waiting to happen.
The path to LeBron was clear. Trade for Kyrie Irving, sign LeBron James, win the East. Now they appear positioned to go 0-for-3.
Add us as a preferred source on Google