Could LeBron James be heading home once again? Anytime rumors swirl around the greatest player of all time, a possible return has to be considered. Is now the time for a reunion?
The Los Angeles Lakers are struggling this season, perhaps worse than they ever have with both LeBron and Anthony Davis on the roster. They are 13-11, but that record features a number of wins over moribund teams and hides the fact that they have a -3.7 net rating. The average team with that net rating would be 9-15, a record that better reflects this team's struggles.
What's more, the Lakers are off to a worrisome start with their two stars largely available; both LeBron and Davis have missed just a single game each. What happens when the two start to miss time as the season wears on?
It's possible that the Lakers use their remaining draft capital to try and upgrade the roster around the stars, but they have shown a reluctance to mortgage their post-LeBron future for the present. If that stance continues this season, it's possible that LeBron James decides that enough is enough and asks for a trade.
LeBron James could request a trade
LeBron holds the cards in this situation. The Lakers are not going to trade him against his will; not only are they a "pro stars" franchise that wants to treat their current stars so well that future stars wish to don the purple and gold, but LeBron has a no-trade clause in his deal. The only way he is being traded is if he wants to be.
Yet he may very well want to be; per LeBron-whisperer Brian Windhorst, rival teams are wondering if LeBron could ask for a trade. And Windhorst's ESPN colleague Kendrick Perkins said that "his sources" have told him the Lakers would not stand in his way if LeBron asked for a trade, although "his sources" could mean anyone on the Internet, so take that with a grain of salt.
Anthony Irwin of ClutchSports did back up Perkins' reporting, adding that the Lakers would prioritize helping LeBron land on the team of his choice while also getting back a package that allows them to rebuild. He added that if LeBron the senior is traded, it's likely that Bronny James would go along for the ride.
The first team that comes to mind for a LeBron James trade are the Golden State Warriors, as they called the Lakers at last year's trade deadline to discuss a deal. LeBron and Stephen Curry certainly seemed to get on well at the Paris Olympics. Yet the financial situation for the Lakers and Warriors makes it unlikely the money could be worked out, at least not without some significant machinations.
If not the Warriors, then who? Could the Cleveland Cavaliers get involved to bring LeBron James back home for a third stint in his hometown?
Could the Cavaliers trade for LeBron and Bronny James?
The Cavaliers are in a solid financial situation, and that includes room under the first luxury tax apron. That would allow them to make a trade with a team over the first tax apron that cannot take back more salary than they send out. Whatever package the Cavaliers build could total less than the salaries of LeBron and son, making a deal financially possible.
The first difficulty, however, is finding that matching salary. LeBron is making $48.7 million this season on a maximum deal. The Cavaliers would either need to include Jarrett Allen's $20 million salary right at the deadline and stack other salaries on top, or they would need to send out four rotation players; something like Caris LeVert, Max Strus, Dean Wade and Georges Niang.
That would absolutely strip the Cavaliers of their depth. It would give them another star, no question, but a star who has taken a step back as a truly elite player and likely wouldn't deserve an All-Star spot if it were handed out today (he will be an All-Star because the fans will vote him in, but he hasn't earned it this season). The Cavaliers are also doing great without him, leading the league in wins with stars of their own blossoming.
Another very real barrier to a trade is that the Lakers don't control their own draft for the next few seasons, so if they are going to move LeBron James they will want draft picks and/or young players to being a rebuild. The Cavs don't exactly have any of those to trade, other than a far-off first-round pick or their one prospect Jaylon Tyson. That's not a lot to go on.
In the end, this idea is lovely but unlikely. Yes, it would be a storybook moment for LeBron to return home with his son for another season or two before he retires a Cavalier, passing the torch to Bronny. Yet writing that story would probably make the Cavaliers a worse a team now and shorten their window, making this trade more of a fantasy than anything else.