Rumors surrounding LeBron James returning to the Cleveland Cavaliers after this season have been somewhat non-stop since he faced his old team last month. Last month, reports surfaced that the Cavaliers would welcome James back, with The Athletic saying a return to Cleveland would be the “obvious destination,” and veteran reporter Jason Lloyd said LeBron will play in Cleveland next season, if anything, amid rumors that Donovan Mitchell and James Harden are recruiting him.
We have one more rumor to add to that list.
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ESPN’s Tim McMahon told “NBA Today” on Friday that there is “widespread speculation” around the league that James will sign with Cleveland this summer for a potential retirement tour.
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At this point, it feels like LeBron will return home to Cleveland unless he retires after this season. What that looks like from a payroll perspective remains to be seen.
The Cavaliers are currently on the second apron. They won’t be able to get a full mid-level exception unless they’re both under two aprons and then cut extra salary to make a spot for that exception. There is also the possibility of a sign-and-trade if the Cavaliers get below the first paddock. Alternatively, James can choose to sign a minimum salary contract.
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There is no point in speculating too much about the financial situation at this point. From a cap perspective, there are many scenarios where this can be achieved. If both sides want James to play in Cleveland, they will find a way to make it happen, just like they did in 2014.
Although LeBron is 41 years old, he still maintains an extremely high level. He had a triple-double in the Los Angeles Lakers’ final game against the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday. This season, James averaged 22 points, 7.1 assists and 5.8 rebounds per game with a shooting percentage of 0.502/0.305/0.746, playing a major supporting role with Luka Doncic.
We’ll see how it turns out. In the meantime, we can rest assured that there will be more rumors about James returning to Cleveland between now and July.