21-time Los Angeles Lakers All-Star LeBron James recently picked up his $52.6 million player option to stay in Tinseltown for the 2025-26 season, but rumblings persist that the former four-time league MVP could eventually demand a deal out of town.
Would a reunion with one of his former teams make sense for both sides?
In a new piece, Bleacher Report's Greg Swartz proposed three trades which would send James back to the Cleveland Cavaliers, one of which involves five teams and multiple All-Stars.
The Lakers, in exchange for James, big man Maxi Kleber, guard Austin Reaves and forward Jarred Vanderbilt, would receive All-Star forward Lauri Markkanen from the Utah Jazz plus combo forward De'Andre Hunter and wing Max Strus from the Cavs.
The Cavs are the other big players in this deal and would get James, Reaves, Jazz center Walker Kessler and a lottery-protected first round pick, while saving themselves $27.2 million.
As for the other teams involved, the Jazz would receive All-Star point guard Darius Garland and Kleber, the Hornets would receive All-Star center Jarrett Allen and the Nets would receive forward Grant Williams, Vanderbilt and a 2027 first-round pick (top-2 protected).
This trade is largely Cavs-centric, as they would keep both Evan Mobley and Donovan Mitchell while adding three huge pieces to their roster, however it could also shake up the Lakers' lineup in a good way. The Lakers would maintain their guard depth while adding a young forward spaces the floor well.
Strus and Hunter are both solid shooters, and removing Reaves from the conversation allows a more natural shooting guard to slot in next to Luka Doncic in the back court.
Despite how intriguing this trade would be for the league, the chances of something like this happening are slim to none.
James has spent 11 seasons with the Cavaliers. He brought Cleveland to five NBA Finals, including the 2016 championship.
A Cleveland return for James would be poetic, but after topping the East last year, the Cavs are unlikely to blow it up for a good story. James also appears to be staying with the Lakers this offseason, despite cryptic messages from his team and constant rumors.
