LeBron James finishing his NBA career where it all started would just be a storybook ending, right? Cleveland Cavaliers fans have been dreaming of a reunion with the franchise's greatest player for quite some time. It turns out the organization is not opposed to the idea either.
ESPN reporter Dave McMenamin dropped a pivotal piece of LeBron-Cavaliers news on the morning of the looming battle between Cleveland and the Los Angeles Lakers. It was easy to miss amid a long and well-written article, but a worthwhile find for anyone who was paying attention.
McMenamin wrote, "Multiple team and league sources told ESPN the Cavaliers would gladly welcome James back this summer if he wanted to return to Cleveland for his 24th NBA season and third stint with the team."
That is exactly what any Ohio native waiting for a positive development would want to hear. The Cavaliers will certainly have obstacles to clear before pursuing a reunion, but to know the desire is there functions as a great starting point.
Cavaliers fans aren’t imagining it — the door is wide open for LeBron James return
This is it, right? This is the substantial piece of rumor mill insight that Clevelanders needed to hear in order to truly believe that the idea of a reunion had a solid foundation.
The findings from McMenamin go much further than an analyst simply predicting the Cavaliers as the most logical spot beyond the Lakers. This confirms interest on Cleveland's end of the equation. Granted, there is extra work to be done.
The best way for the Cavaliers to make a reunion in Cleveland work during free agency would be a sign-and-trade featuring LeBron. That would mean getting under the second apron in the offseason.
Of course, the Cavaliers would love it if James simply took the biggest paycut of his career to return to Cleveland. However, the aforementioned route is the more logical solution that satisfies all parties involved.
Upon getting back down under the second apron, Jarrett Allen immediately stands out as a player who should interest the Lakers in a potential sign-and-trade scenario. Deandre Ayton is not a long-term answer at center in Los Angeles. Allen has a lot of likability in a future revolivng around Luka Doncic.
Would James in Cleveland be more of a nostalgia tour or could the move actually help the Cavaliers be the championship contender they want to be? The answer is somewhere in between.
LeBron continues to display plenty of basketball left in the tank. That should help the team compete. Even so, the Cavaliers will need to tinker with the overall roster much more to truly solidify themselves as a real title contender.
There are just some stories that are impossible not to root for, though. James coming back to the Cavaliers and riding off into the sunset with a championship would be one of them.