At this point, it's no secret to anyone that ESPN's Stephen A. Smith says some outlandish things from time to time. In fact, the analyst has become world famous as a TV personality for just that purpose.
However, his most recent hot take might not be so hot after all. On Get Up, Smith suggested that for Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James to have his best shot at winning an elusive fifth NBA Championship before the end of his illustrious career, he should once again return to where it all started, for the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The 41-year old James will hit unrestricted free agency this summer, with many speculating that he may play just one more year in the league before heading into retirement. This very well could be his last shot at glory. Smith suggested Cleveland as the best possible scenario for the all-time great, and here's why he's right.
Cavaliers have a great core and play in a weak Eastern Conference
It's quite possible that there isn't a team in the Eastern Conference with a stronger core than that of Cleveland.
Donovan Mitchell has proven to be a top-10 player in the NBA and Evan Mobley, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, is still less than 25 years old and just scratching the surface of his offensive ceiling. Those two alone would likely be enough to move the needle. Throw in the likes of James Harden and Jarrett Allen, and something special begins to brew.
The likes of the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs can rival the core of the Cavaliers. However, the other teams from the East don't have as much in their favor.
Jayson Tatum is coming off an Achilles tear for the Boston Celtics. Joel Embiid is aging quickly for the Philadelphia 76ers. The Detroit Pistons are young and somewhat unestablished. We all know about the defensive shortcomings of the currently constructed New York Knicks.
Not just that, but the East is also significantly weaker than the West right now. If James did return to Cleveland, he would evade many of the league's best teams and stars until the NBA Finals.
That means he'd only have to see one of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic, Anthony Edwards, Victor Wembanyama, Kevin Durant or even Stephen Curry. It wouldn't be much of a surprise to see Giannis Antetokounmpo in the West next year too, but that's a can of worms for another time.
So, as an older guy with a somewhat limited amount of miles left, it would behoove James to give himself an easier path both in the regular season and playoffs.
Lastly, it would give James the potential of a storybook ending to his career, one that he'd likely covet. It would also give him that much more motivation to bring another ring to his hometown club.
James' fit with the Cavaliers is the biggest question mark for Cleveland
The biggest question isn't if Cleveland is the right choice, it's how it would look if it did happen.
Firstly, the Cavaliers are in a tough spot with financials. As of now, Cleveland will be the second most expensive team in the league next season, around $15 million over the second apron. That's all to say that money is tight and that there isn't much to dole out.
If James is seeking a maximum deal or anything close to it this summer, then Cleveland will more than likely be out. If he's willing to take a pay cut or accept something closer to the veterans minimum, then the Cavaliers will be in serious business. If there's anywhere in the league James would be willing to give a discount, it's here.
Let's assume the two sides can make a deal work. Now, it becomes a fascinating situation to see how James would fit into this Cavaliers roster.
First, let's quickly address Cleveland's impeding free agents. Regardless, an extension for Keon Ellis seems inevitable so he'll likely be back.
However, to make room for James, it's more than likely that the Cavaliers will have to part with Dean Wade, Thomas Bryant, and Larry Nance Jr.. Wade is the one that hurts the most be far, but it's a sacrifice that Cleveland will most likely be happy to make. For this, we'll also make the assumption that the Cavaliers get off of Max Strus's contract.
For potential lineups that Kenny Atkinson can throw out there, things get murky. It's hard to believe that James would return to Cleveland willing to come off the bench, so pencil him into the starting lineup.
That means that unless the Cavaliers make a major move, the opening five would be Harden, Mitchell, James, Mobley and Allen. Upon first glance, sure, James fits in positionally. But, it's not that simple.
James is best and most effective with the ball in his hands. That's no secret. However, between Harden, Mitchell and even Mobley, there aren't many more on-ball reps to dish out.
We've seen over the past year or so how James isn't his superhuman self when he's off the ball. That would be even more of a problem now.
Although, on a more positive note, there are worse problems to have. Injuries are very real and to have this many self-creation options will be very nice when someone inevitably goes down at some point in the regular season. It will also be a plus to stagger minutes, creating combinations where not all of the high usage players have to be on together.
It should also be mentioned that James' defensive output is a shell of what it once was. So, in the minutes that that opening five listed above is on together, the Cavaliers will have a real problem with who their point of attack defender will be.
Because of that, maybe Cleveland will look to go smaller, with either Ellis or Jaylon Tyson on. That would push Allen off more frequently, playing James at the four and giving the Cavaliers more flexibility on the perimeter defensively.
Ultimately, what this all leads to is this: the key question mark will be how Cleveland blends their stars with their role players. Clearly, it just isn't feasible to rely on all of the stars on the court together at the same time for 48 minutes per game. Finding the right combinations will be crucial.
Maybe the Cavaliers go big, with lineups consisting of Harden/Mitchell, Tyson, James, Mobley and Allen. Or they could start James but have him play primarily with the bench unit, seeing minutes with floor-spacers like Sam Merrill and Tyrese Proctor, wing defenders like Ellis, and secondary creators like Dennis Schroder.
Whatever happens, Smith very well could be right about the Cavaliers being the best spot for James next season. If it happens, look for all eyes in the basketball world to turn towards Cleveland.