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NBA rumors: Cavs enter chat again for LeBron James after Lakers exit
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- NBA rumors: Cavs enter chat again for LeBron James after Lakers exit
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The Cleveland Cavaliers have quickly reemerged as a potential landing spot for LeBron James after the four-time NBA champion informed the Los Angeles Lakers that he will continue his career elsewhere.
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James' decision, first reported Tuesday by ESPN's Shams Charania on X, formerly known as Twitter, immediately reignited speculation about a third stint in Cleveland, where he won the franchise's first NBA championship in 2016.
Shortly after the announcement, NBA insider Chris Haynes reported that the Cavaliers remain interested in bringing James back to Northeast Ohio.
" Cleveland Cavaliers have interest in a second reunion with LeBron James with the appeal of the franchise's greatest player finishing his career where it all started, league sources tell me," Haynes wrote on X.
The reported interest comes after months of speculation linking James to Cleveland as he weighed his future with the Lakers. While the Cavaliers have consistently surfaced as a possibility, the Golden State Warriors have also been widely viewed as one of the leading contenders for his services.
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A return to Cleveland would represent a full-circle ending for James' career.
The Cavaliers selected James with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft before he departed for the Miami Heat in 2010. He returned in 2014 and led Cleveland to four consecutive NBA Finals appearances, culminating in the historic 2016 championship after overcoming a 3-1 series deficit against the Golden State Warriors .
The biggest obstacle to another reunion remains the financial side of the equation.
Jarrett Allen trade framework could pave way for Cavaliers reunion with LeBron James
David Richard-Imagn Images
Last week, ESPN's Brian Windhorst floated a possible framework that could satisfy both Cleveland and Los Angeles .
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"There is a thought process out there in Los Angeles and if the Cavs were interested in this, the Lakers would sit up in attention right now," Windhorst said.
"That they would sign-and-trade LeBron for Jarrett Allen. I think if the Cavs were willing to do that, they could have LeBron."
Windhorst believes such a move would appeal to both organizations, particularly because of the Lakers' longstanding need for an established center.
"Obviously, LeBron would have to want to sign with the Cavs," Windhorst said.
"But if your pathway to pay LeBron the money is to trade Jarrett Allen for him, the Lakers would kill for Jarrett Allen. Kill for him! They would do that deal in 17 tenths of a second."
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Whether Cleveland would be willing to part with Allen remains uncertain, especially after reaching the Eastern Conference finals this past season. The Cavaliers have built one of the NBA's deepest rosters, and any move involving Allen would significantly alter that core.
Still, with James officially leaving the Lakers, the possibility of one final chapter in Cleveland appears more realistic than it did just days ago. As free agency begins, the Cavaliers once again find themselves among the teams most closely linked to the franchise icon who transformed the organization twice before.
Related: Why Cavs must do whatever it takes to bring back LeBron James for retirement tour after Lakers exit
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