The league’s latest LeBron James chatter is starting to split into two very different lanes: basketball and story.
On one side, the Warriors have spent much of the offseason waiting for James to decide whether Golden State is the place he wants to land. Brad Botkin of CBS Sports pointed out that the patience could end up hurting them if James signs somewhere else, especially because the Warriors have already brought back Al Horford, Kristaps Porzingis and De’Anthony Melton without making the kind of move that clearly pushes them into title-contender territory.
If James is chasing the best championship odds, Golden State may not be the easiest sell. Sure, the idea of James alongside Stephen Curry and Draymond Green still turns heads. But if he goes another direction, the Warriors could be stuck mostly running it back while the rest of the West keeps getting younger, deeper and more aggressive.
That leaves Cleveland as the other obvious landing spot, and maybe the one that makes the most sense if James is thinking beyond pure basketball. A Sports Illustrated piece argued that the Cavaliers would be the best fit if he wants to film what could be his final NBA season for a documentary or episodic series.
The appeal there is obvious. James grew up in Akron, started his career with the Cavs, came back once already and delivered the 2016 championship. A last run in Cleveland would give that project a built-in ending, title or no title.
It wouldn’t be a dead-end on the court, either. Donovan Mitchell, James Harden, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen give Cleveland a solid base, and Hoops Wire has relayed that there is growing belief around the NBA that the Cavs may be the likeliest landing spot.
Elsewhere in the league, Boston’s big move is drawing plenty of second-guessing.
Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix said the Celtics better be right after trading Jaylen Brown to the 76ers for Paul George and draft compensation. Mannix noted that Brown never asked out, was still in his prime and had just helped carry Boston through a 56-win season. George, by contrast, is 36 and has dealt with multiple injury issues in recent years.
That’s why the timing stands out. Mannix wrote that Boston may have had basketball, financial and personal reasons for moving Brown, but he also made clear the Celtics look worse in the short term.
Now the bet is on George having enough left, the picks eventually mattering and Jayson Tatum getting back to full strength. Philadelphia, meanwhile, gets Brown to pair with Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe.
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