The Cleveland Cavaliers are going into the 2025-26 season as the favorite to come out of the Eastern Conference to reach the NBA Finals.
It’s the first time since the 2017-18 season, LeBron James’ last with the Cavs, where the team is at the top of the heap in the East. However, with just one year remaining on LeBron’s contract, could the Cavs make a run at the King for one last dance?
LeBron James takes in the warmups of the Virginia Tech Hokies and Ohio State Buckeyes game in Ohio Stadium / Kyle Robertson/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
James, 40, has one year remaining on his contract with the Los Angeles Lakers, but a return home has always been something in the back of his mind and the Cavaliers. While the Cavs have a strong rotation and a core that shouldn’t be messed with too much, it’s hard to deny that adding LeBron wouldn’t be a positive move for Cleveland, especially if it was the last one needed to finally reach a championship.
This isn’t to say that the Cavs can’t reach the NBA Finals without LeBron, because they absolutely can. Donovan Mitchell is a top 10 player in the league and he has arguably one of the best cores around him with Darius Garland, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen, among others to get the job done.
“This is the first time in the post-LeBron James era that the Cavaliers are strong favorites in the East. Not only did they finish with the best record last season, return a rotation that’s virtually intact, and don’t have any impact player 30 or older, but the competition is weakened with the Celtics and Pacers dealing with potential season-long injuries to their stars,” NBA.com contributor Shaun Powell wrote.
“The Cavs need to hold it down while Darius Garland and Max Strus deal with foot injuries to start the season, but otherwise, all is good with Donovan Mitchell and company.”
Considering the fact LeBron is a free agent and can facilitate a trade to where he goes next if he wants to leave the Lakers, the Cavs should be considered a top landing spot. The Lakers would probably want Allen in a deal, but the team could hypothetically move Mobley to the center spot while LeBron takes over at the power forward position.
While the chance of getting LeBron on the roster isn’t very high, it’s an ace up Cleveland’s sleeve that it can use if the team feels like it would give the Cavs the best chance to win a title this year or next.