Speculation surrounding LeBron James and his future with the Los Angeles Lakers continues to intensify, with one league insider openly embracing the idea of a return to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
On the latest episode of Clutch Scoops, ClutchPoints NBA insider Brett Siegel said he believes momentum is building toward James leaving Southern California this summer for a third stint in Cleveland.
“Everyone around the league, even at the trade deadline felt that his time with the Lakers is over and that it seems like he’s going to be going back to Cleveland,” Siegel said. “And that’s been the notion ever since that road game in Cleveland.”
Siegel pointed to James’ deep ties to the city as a driving factor behind the growing belief.
“We know how much that city means to him. It’s where he’s from, it’s where he still has family, and he does a lot for that community still even though he’s halfway across the nation,” Siegel said. “So I think that for year 24, at this point, I would be shocked if he doesn’t go back to Cleveland. I just see him taking a discount to do so. Whether it’s a minimum deal, whether they clear cap space to offer him something else. I just don’t see anyway, A, he returns to the Lakers and B, why he would want to finish his career with some new team.”
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Cavaliers cap outlook, contender potential fuel LeBron James’ Lakers exit buzz
Siegel added that a potential Cavaliers roster featuring James alongside James Harden, Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley could immediately vault Cleveland into contender status in the Eastern Conference.
ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reported Wednesday that the Cavaliers would only be able to offer James a veteran minimum contract under current cap constraints.
James, 41, remains under contract with Los Angeles and is in his eighth season with the franchise and 23rd overall. He is averaging 22 points, 7.1 assists, 5.8 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game while shooting 50.2 percent from the field and 30.5 percent from three-point range across 36 games. The Lakers enter the second half of the season at 33-21, sitting fifth in the Western Conference standings.
Los Angeles resumes play Friday night against the Los Angeles Clippers at 7 p.m. PT on ESPN.
Cleveland, 34-21 and fourth in the Eastern Conference, returns from the All-Star break on Thursday night when it hosts the Brooklyn Nets at 4 p.m. PT. The Cavaliers are riding a five-game winning streak.
While no decision has been made and James has not publicly addressed his long-term plans, Siegel’s comments underscore how league-wide belief is growing that another chapter in Cleveland could be on the horizon.
