LeBron James May Leave Lakers For Cavaliers

Merlin sees the Cavaliers ready to roll out a red carpet if LeBron James opts to leave the Lakers in free agency. Sources say Cleveland would "gladly welcome" their prodigal son back, and the timing has drama around L.A. owner Jeanie Buss, who reportedly "grumbled" about an "outsized ego" and once floated trading him. LeBron pushed back publicly, saying, "Don't make something out of it that it's not. It's always been mutual, it's always been respect, it's always been a great partnership." Merlin notes the fit is tempting. Adding LeBron to Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen would vault Cleveland into immediate title contention and offer an easier path than the Western gauntlet. Age, legacy and LeBron’s own retirement thinking will steer the final choice, but the door in Cleveland stands wide.