Imagine this scenario:
LeBron James and his son Bronny donned Cavaliers uniforms and capped off a historic farewell tour by winning another championship in Cleveland. As they gleefully played off each other, James Harden stared at Giannis Antetokounmpo, also dressed in burgundy and gold, and laughed maniacally at the insanity of it all. Harden ended up winning a championship, and in the process ruined his former team’s chance at a three-peat with the Oklahoma City Thunder. (Yes, I predict the Thunder will win it all this year.)
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It was the storybook ending to LeBron’s 24-year career. Walking away as a champion – an honor Michael Jordan once had but gave up in a last-ditch effort with the Washington Wizards.
Believe it or not, it can be done. Especially since the Eastern Conference is fully open.
The trade rumor mill is in high gear ahead of Thursday’s trade deadline. Harden and Antetokounmpo (and in time, LeBron and Bronny) may soon be packing their bags and heading to Ohio State.
This is how it all unfolded.
Trade 1: James Harden for Darius Garland
Trade deadline week kicked off on Monday night, with our Yahoo Sports reporter Kelly Iko breaking the news that the Los Angeles Clippers and Cleveland Cavaliers are in talks to trade James Harden. According to Iko, the Cavaliers are in pole position to pursue Harden at the deadline.
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Considering the Clippers have completed one of the greatest season turnarounds in NBA history, going 16-3 after a 6-21 start, Harden’s news may have caught some people off guard. But for those who have followed Harden’s dating patterns throughout his career, it was only a matter of time before Harden and the Clippers divorced.
When Harden arrived with the Clippers in 2023, my first reaction was: Great, so where does he go next? Sure enough, less than three years later, with the team on the verge of resurgence, the NBA’s most mercurial star was suddenly sidelined for “personal reasons” and, lo and behold, trade talks emerged.
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There’s no official trade request yet, but we can read the tea leaves here. Harden is eligible for a contract extension, but he hasn’t gotten one yet. His partner, Kawhi Leonard, is at the center of the NBA’s investigation into Steve Ballmer and the Clippers’ front office over alleged salary cap circumvention involving Leonard’s apparent absence from the contract. Recently, Leonard and Harden were noticeably left out of the All-Star lineup, despite their stellar performances and the Clippers hosting the All-Star Game at the Intuit Dome. There are a lot of bad feelings about this.
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The Cavaliers are reportedly interested in Darius Garland because of Garland’s injury woes and the need to keep Donovan Mitchell happy during a stressful, lackluster season. Harden has performed well this season, and perhaps more importantly, his contract matches Garland’s $39 million salary this season almost perfectly, achieving a one-to-one swap under CBA rules. The key to all of this is that the Cavaliers are a second-tarmac team and therefore can’t put together contracts to make a trade work.
This is the first trade: Harden directly traded for Garland. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Clippers ask Cleveland for a 2026 second-round pick to take on another year of Garland’s contract, even though he’s only 26 years old. The Clippers get a much younger two-time All-Star guard who is entering his prime, but it’s worth noting that they have completely cleared their books for the 2027-28 season in anticipation of a potentially massive free-agent pursuit. The acquisition of Garland differs slightly from this strategy.
Trade 2: Giannis and Thanasis Antetokounmpo for Evan Mobley and draft picks
I’ve mentioned before that the Cavaliers are a second-yard team, which complicates Giannis’ trade negotiations with Cleveland. They cannot aggregate wages unless they pass on about $14 million worth of wages to third parties. Enter the Brooklyn Nets, who, according to Spotrac’s salary data, have Yuust There’s plenty of room for Milwaukee and Cleveland to get a deal done. My friend Kevin Pelton suggested the general framework.
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So the trade: Cleveland gets Giannis and Thanasis Antetokounmpo; Milwaukee gets Evan Mobley, Lonzo Ball and a 2031 first-round pick from Cleveland, as well as Tyrese Martin from Brooklyn; Brooklyn absorbs Max Strouse’s contract and gets the right to trade first-round picks with Cleveland in 2028, 2030 and 2032.
The Cavaliers need Harden to reassure Giannis that they are fully prepared for a championship and commit to a long-term extension when he becomes eligible to sign a four-year, $275 million contract this coming October. With Garland out, I’m not sure the Cavaliers are equipped enough to land a key signing from Giannis Antetokounmpo. The last thing the Cavaliers want to do is give up on Mobley and only have Antetokounmpo walk in the summer of 2027.
Can a starting five of Harden, Mitchell, Jaylen Tyson, Antetokounmpo and Jarrett Allen win a championship? perhaps. But they could use a star small forward to finish the set.
What is that? Is this the music of kings! ?
Step 3: LeBron James signs with Cavaliers as free agent
LeBron James’ contract is expiring this season, worth $52.6 million, and he has veto power over any trade. It’s possible he could work out a deal with Cleveland (again, he’d have to sign the deal for it to go through) in order to get one last hurray back home next season, but doing so would likely diminish the Cavaliers’ depth ahead of their pursuit of a championship.
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Instead, James could slow down and wait until he returns to Cleveland this summer, when he can sign a Dirk-style contract with the Cavaliers. Why discount him if he’s still playing at an All-Star level? That would serve as a compromise that would allow the Cavaliers to trade his son, Bronny, who will have $2.3 million guaranteed next season.
The Cavaliers’ starting lineup next season may include Mitchell, Harden, James, Antetokounmpo and Allen, with Tyson, Dennis Schroder, Keon Ellis (eligible for extension), Bronny James and Sam Merrill as the second team. Maybe bring back Kevin Love for a double farewell tour? Can we get J.R. Smith off the golf course and back in Cleveland again?
The backdrop for all of these blockbuster trades for the Cavaliers is to bolster the long-term commitment of Mitchell, who can leave as a free agent in the summer of 2027. He has a $53.8 million player option this summer, and the Knicks, Lakers and Clippers could create the necessary cap space to compete with Donovan on the dance floor this summer.
Going beyond a star-studded core that’s currently struggling in the playoffs is certainly a risk, but adding three former MVPs to the mix would represent a sea change that could inspire Mitchell’s confidence that Cleveland is his home. Sure, the Cavaliers will be counting on three players under 30 years old (or 40, in LeBron’s case), but it’s not like Cleveland’s young core is cutting it in the playoffs.
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Henry Abbott of TrueHoop said last week that if a Harden-Giannis-LeBron scheme is indeed the goal, it makes sense why Klutch Sports has been trying to represent Giannis. Having Giannis as a client would not only be a boon for Rich Paul when it comes time for Antetokounmpo to offer a massive extension, but it also serves as a conduit of information to ensure everyone in Cleveland is on the same page.
Will this blockbuster trade be enough for James to win his fifth championship and ride off into the sunset as a champion? Maybe. If you thought Cleveland’s 2016 championship was out of reach, let me introduce you to James’ retirement plans, Harden finally won his championship ring, and Antetokounmpo won his second championship ring.
