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Kendrick Perkins says Donovan Mitchell and James Harden are recruiting LeBron James to Cleveland
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- Kendrick Perkins says Donovan Mitchell and James Harden are recruiting LeBron James to Cleveland
With LeBron James set to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the 2025-26 season, many wonder where the league's all-time leading scorer will play next if he chooses to continue his NBA journey.
One popular theory is a return to the Cleveland Cavaliers , where James began his storied journey more than two decades ago. That idea has gained traction after ESPN's Kendrick Perkins claimed on the "Road Trippin" podcast that both Donovan Mitchell and James Harden have started to reach out to James about the possibility of joining forces.
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"My sources told me that Donovan Mitchell and James Harden are starting the push to go and recruit LeBron James this offseason," said Perkins. "I'm just telling you, my sources tell me, as soon as James Harden got on the phone, or got around the team, the initial was 'Aye, we about to make this run, we about to go all out, we want LeBron James. '"
James' return?
The Cavaliers acquired Harden in a trade that sent Darius Garland to the Los Angeles Clippers . With a starting backcourt of Harden and Mitchell, many experts believe they are now the best team in the Eastern Conference.
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But even if the Cavaliers somehow win the 2026 NBA championship, or at least make the NBA Finals, that shouldn't stop the LeBron recruiting process for next season.
Meanwhile, James has not confirmed whether he will continue playing beyond the 2025-26 season. Still, given his high-level performance this year — he's averaging 21.8 points, 5.6 rebounds and 6.7 assists — he has proven that he has the ability to play at least one more year.
With Luka Doncic now the Lakers ' centerpiece and Austin Reaves emerging as the team's second option, many expect LeBron will not return to Los Angeles next season. As such, Cleveland might be the perfect fit for his NBA farewell.
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LeBron to Cleveland is gaining traction
It's not just Perkins drumming up the idea of James joining the Cavaliers.
During a recent appearance on the "Run it Back" podcast, former Cavaliers guard J.R. Smith said that, based on the tone of their conversations in their 2016 championship team group chat, he thinks James is plotting a return to Cleveland. Former Cavs general manager David Griffin also feels the same way.
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"There's a big part of me that would be surprised if he doesn't on some level just because Northeast Ohio means so much to him," he said . "It would be surprising to me on some level if he didn't want to. Knowing nothing and having no relationships of any kind there, it's hard for me to say, but I can tell you the theater of it excites me."
Both Smith and Griffin denied having any insider knowledge of James' desire to return to Cleveland. But on the other hand, there is no reason for him not to. No city would celebrate his farewell tour better than his hometown, and the fans there still love him as they did in 2003.
And now that the team's two stars, Harden and Mitchell , want him too, it seems like a no-brainer, really.
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This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Feb 7, 2026, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
