‘Read the tea leaves’: Multiple ESPN reporters suggest LeBron James could return to Cleveland again
Northeast Ohio native Lebron James started his NBA career in Cleveland, won a championship in Cleveland, and now it sounds like he might end his career in Cleveland.
On Tuesday, James officially informed the Los Angeles Lakers that he will not return to the team and will sign elsewhere as a free agent. While the Golden State Warriors are reportedly interested in signing James, it sounds like there is a very real possibility that he could return to the Cleveland Cavaliers, perhaps to end his career.
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In fact, based on some recent comments from several NBA insiders, it sounds like it’s more than likely.
‘Read the Tea Leaves’
During the free agency of “NBA Today” on Tuesday, ESPN reporter Dave McMenamin, who was talking about the Cavs, suggested that the Cavs are a real contender to get James, and even revealed that the NBA megastar is currently in Ohio to find out what is next for his career.
“I mean, of all the places in the world where he could come to the conclusion that he’s going to leave the Lakers, and tell the Lakers he’s going to leave, it just so happens to be Akron, Ohio, Cleveland, Ohio,” McMenamin said. “I can’t say it’s all the clues there, but we have to read the tea leaves here. I know several members of LeBron’s inner circle will meet him in Ohio this week. … It would be the best situation where you grew up, 45 minutes from Akron and the Cavs for the third time.”
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Windhorst, And
McMenamin is not the only one who mixes tea leaves together.
Later in the broadcast, ESPN insider Brian Windhorst, who may have been the most connected LeBron James reporter of his entire career, explained the process by which the Cavs could lure James.
“When the Cleveland Cavaliers heard today that LeBron James would agree to play for less than his market value salary, that changed everything,” Windhorst told ESPN.
Windhorst went on to point out that the Boston Celtics were unable to find a trade partner for Jaylen Brown and suggested that the Cavs could make a run at trading him, which would give James an incentive to sign with the Cavs.
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“What can the Cavs do? James Harden opted out yesterday. He, from what I understand, is willing to work with the Cavs to find a way to improve the system,” said Windhorst. “Jaylen Brown is here. Can the Cavs move Jaylen Brown, and come to LeBron and say ‘How do you feel about us now?’ That’s the kind of move you’ll make to get LeBron James’ attention. “
It is worth noting that this is a complete change from what Windhorst was reporting before.
“I don’t think the Cavs are a logical option,” Windhorst said earlier this week. “I haven’t heard that the Cavs are out but I haven’t heard that they’re in. So, I’m not looking at that as an option right now.”
Another Sign?
This comes a few days after a Cleveland-area fitness trainer accurately predicted that LeBron James would return to the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2014 again.
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“LeBron may be making his third and final return with the Cavaliers. Here we go,” Joshua Teplitz wrote Thursday at X.
We’ll have to see what happens, but there certainly seems to be a lot of smoke at once.
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