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A sensational return to Cleveland for LeBron James has been picking up a lot of steam of late. The fact that the Los Angeles Lakers superstar himself stated that he's not closing any doors on a potential reunion with the Cavs certainly did a lot to fuel these rumors.
Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report outlined what a trade between the Cavs and the Lakers could look like in the event that Cleveland actually decides to heed LeBron's come-get-me plea in the coming offseason.
For starters, what needs to be made clear here is that at the end of the day, this is going to be LeBron's decision. The Lakers might not be willing to part ways with their superstar, but it probably won't be up to them. If James decides he wants to leave then he's going to. It's as simple as that. LA could always opt to keep him in Hollywood against his will given that he still has one more year on his current deal, but this only means that they're going to lose him for nothing when he walks away as a free agent in 2023.
In this light, if the Cavs were to trade for LeBron this summer, they would essentially be paying the Lakers to acquire his services one year early. This gives Cleveland a lot of leverage on the negotiation table. According to Pincus, a package centered around Collin Sexton, Lauri Markkanen, and one or two first-round picks might be the best deal the Lakers can get out of a potential trade. There's no denying that LeBron James holds much more value than that, but given the circumstances, LA cannot afford to be too demanding here.
Pincus also notes that the Cavs are capable of making enough cap room for LeBron, who himself is set to earn $44.5 million next season. It will require some creativity from Cleveland's front office, but the important thing to understand is that they can do it.
Another important aspect to consider here is LeBron's recent declaration about his son, Bronny James. The King stated that he will sign for whichever team drafts Bronny in 2024. This just further complicates matters here. LeBron will likely put pen to paper on a one-year deal for the 2023-24 season in order to give him the freedom to sign for Bronny's team. The Cavs (and the Lakers) will definitely need to take this into consideration if they actually discuss a potential LeBron trade this summer.
