LeBron James has spent the summer avoiding trade drama and focusing on his 23rd NBA season. But if you ask Stephen A. Smith, the Los Angeles Lakers star’s championship window in purple and gold has slammed shut and there’s only one way to pry it open again.
A bold blueprint for a fifth ring
On ESPN’s First Take, Smith made his case for a move that would shake the league: LeBron returning to the Cleveland Cavaliers for a final title run.
“If LeBron James came back to Cleveland, you the favorites to come out of the East, and you only need four wins to win a championship,” Smith said. “You bring the chip back to Cleveland, and you say goodbye. Five-time champion, tying Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan and the crew. That ain’t happening if you stay in L.A., because you ain’t coming out of the West.”
Smith’s argument is simple: the Eastern Conference is more navigable, and Cleveland’s young core, Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, and Darius Garland, is ready to contend now.
Why Cleveland could be the fast track
The Cavaliers are coming off a franchise-best 64-18 season and a second-round exit to the New York Knicks. With Mitchell’s scoring, Mobley’s Defensive Player of the Year talent, and Garland’s playmaking, Smith believes James could slide in as the perfect veteran leader — giving Cleveland the edge over Eastern rivals like Boston, Milwaukee, and Indiana.
LeBron’s history in the East backs up the claim. From 2011 to 2018, he reached the NBA Finals eight straight times between stints in Miami and Cleveland. In Los Angeles, though, he’s made just one Finals appearance, winning the 2020 bubble championship.
The West’s uphill climb
The Lakers went 50-32 last season but were bounced in the first round by Minnesota. Even at 40, James still delivered elite performances, including a 38-point outburst on the road, but the Western Conference remains loaded with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets and Denver Nuggets standing in the way.
Cleveland’s roster depth could ease LeBron’s regular-season workload and preserve him for the postseason. But a return wouldn’t be simple: James has a no-trade clause, a $52.6 million salary for 2025-26, and strong family and business ties to Los Angeles — not to mention his desire to play alongside Bronny James.
For now, the idea is just that — an idea. But if LeBron truly wants to chase one more championship before he hangs them up, Stephen A. believes the road home to Cleveland might be the smoothest path left.