The hypothetical scenarios have yet again clouded LeBron James‘ future in the NBA. His recent visit to his home city of Cleveland has sparked discussions about a potential return to the Cleveland Cavaliers for the second time. Amidst this fan interest in his possible third stint with the franchise, Channing Frye has added fuel to the fire.
Advertisement
James was witnessed sitting on the courtside during the Cavs’ latest Game 4 clash against the Boston Celtics. This marked his first visit to the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse as a mere visitor in over a decade. Interestingly, soon after his last such visit on 8th March 2014, the 4x MVP had signed for the franchise to begin his second stint for them.
As a result, his recent appearance in the building has hinted towards the possibility of history repeating itself. Thus, speculation began, leading to Frye’s excitement. James’ former teammate wholeheartedly supported the idea while shedding light on its positive impact on The King’s career.
During a recent episode of NBA on TNT, Frye stated, “I would love to see it…Obviously, it’s gonna be hard for him to win another one [ring] in the Western Conference…There’s no two players that are on free agency or maybe you could trade for that would put you above Minnesota, OKC, Dallas, Denver and the list goes on”.
“I’d love to see it… His impact on the city is craziness” @channingfrye wants to see @KingJames end his career in Cleveland. #NBAXLive pic.twitter.com/LQFtFeUQEf
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) May 14, 2024
Despite the seeming bias in his comments, those carried an immense volume. The level of competition and intensity continues to rise in the West, rapidly increasing the gap between the title contenders and pretenders. As of right now, James’ Los Angeles Lakers fall into the second category, justifying his stance.
That said, the Cavs could struggle to sign James for the third time in their history.
Can the Cleveland Cavaliers bring LeBron James home?
As per Sportac, James has entered the player option of his contract with the Lakers. This allows him to opt for free agency early to eventually sign for the Cavs (or any team of his choice). But, for that to happen, the franchise must present him with his desired players and project. So, they may need to chop and change their roster drastically to make a place for the 4x champion.
Following the franchise’s recent success with its relatively young core, this remains highly unlikely to happen. For instance, this season they earned direct qualification to the playoffs as the 4th seed in the East, following a 48-34 run. Even in an injury-ridden postseason, they reached the semi-finals, adding to their supporters’ faith in the current squad.
At the same time, the Lakers are unwilling to give up on James. According to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, “The Lakers intend to have LeBron James come back on any term that he wants to, whether that be a one-year, two-year, three-year deal, whatever. They’d love to continue to have LeBron James in the purple and gold until he calls it quits, whenever that may be“.
On top of this, they could allegedly either draft or trade for Bronny James this summer to ensure this. It will fulfill James’ lifelong dream of sharing the court with his son while extending his stay at the City of Angels.
So, the speculations remain highly unlikely to result in a defining outcome. Yet, this takes nothing away from James’ love for the city of Cleveland. Last year, he looked back on his time with the franchise, stating, “Being able to come back from the Miami stint and win a championship here for this franchise…something I will never forget, no matter how old I get I’ll always remember that moment”.
Despite the emotional aspect attached to the entire scenario, rationality could get the best out of James. However, the Cavs fans are bound to keep Frye’s words at the back of their minds, holding onto a ray of hope.
