When Brian Windhorst speaks on anything involving LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers, it's worth paying attention. He's been covering LeBron since the early days in Akron, and when he sheds light on what could have been, it opens up a fascinating look at one of the NBA’s biggest “what ifs.”
Let’s rewind to the summer of 2018. That’s when LeBron James left the Cavaliers-again-this time as an unrestricted free agent to sign with the Los Angeles Lakers.
It was a move that reshaped the league and set the stage for a new chapter in LeBron's storied career. But according to Windhorst, that decision may have been made well before the ink dried on any contract.
And the catalyst? Kyrie Irving’s trade request in 2017.
Windhorst says LeBron’s intention was to stay in Cleveland. But once Irving asked out, the writing may have started appearing on the wall.
“I think LeBron intended to stay in Cleveland and then the Kyrie Irving thing blew up,” Windhorst said. “And that was in 2017.
LeBron decided before his last year that he was going to be done in Cleveland. I think in 2017 he looked around and saw the Lakers and saw a great opportunity.”
That moment-when Irving asked for a trade-was more than just a roster shake-up. It fractured the core of a team that had made three straight trips to the NBA Finals and pulled off one of the greatest comebacks in league history by toppling the 73-9 Golden State Warriors in 2016.
That Cavaliers team had a true “Big 3” in LeBron, Kyrie, and Kevin Love. And when that trio was clicking, they were as dangerous as any group in the league.
Irving’s departure to the Boston Celtics marked the beginning of the end for that era in Cleveland. And it hit LeBron hard.
Former Cavaliers head coach Tyronn Lue, now with the Clippers, recalled the moment LeBron found out about the trade. “Bron was doing an autograph signing with jerseys and stuff for his foundation,” Lue said.
“So I come sit next to Bron. We sitting there, hand him the phone, SportsCenter, ‘Kyrie Irving’s just been traded to the Boston Celtics.’
Bron dropped the marker and just lays back in his chair for about 10 minutes, doesn’t say a word, like pissed off. And Bron was crushed.”
That image says a lot. LeBron, always the calculated leader, was visibly shaken.
And while he still played out the 2017-18 season in Cleveland-dragging a depleted roster to the Finals-it was clear that the long-term vision had shifted. The Lakers, with their market, resources, and potential, became the next destination.
Since LeBron’s exit, the Cavaliers have struggled to recapture that championship magic. They haven’t made it past the second round of the playoffs. And while the team has shown flashes of promise in recent years, they’ve yet to find a true replacement for the gravitational pull that LeBron brought to the franchise.
Now, at 41, LeBron once again finds himself heading into free agency. It’s the first time since 2018 he’ll be an unrestricted free agent.
Whether he returns to the Lakers, explores another opportunity, or decides to hang it up remains to be seen. But what’s clear is that the ripple effect of Kyrie’s trade request in 2017 still echoes through the league.
It’s a reminder of how fragile dynasties can be-and how one decision can alter the course of NBA history.