NBA Insider Gives Update on Cavaliers' Potential LeBron James Trade

In recent days of the NBA offseason, one of the hottest topics to grace across league headlines is that of the situation revolving LeBron James and his uncertain future with the Los Angeles Lakers.

After accepting his player option before free agency kicked off and an ominous statement was issued by Rich Paul to follow, the speculation has consequently gone rampant surrounding what could be in store for LeBron–– with many eyes looking towards the Cleveland Cavaliers as a potential fit for a trade, if he were to become available on the market.

It's undoubtedly a fun idea to draw up to see LeBron find his way back to where it all started. However, you might not want to hold your breath on the Cavaliers hammering out a blockbuster trade in exchange for James, as the reality of such a move coming to form looks a bit bleak, according to NBA insider Brian Windhorst.

During a recent interview with ESPN Cleveland, Windhorst recently broke down the latest surrounding the Cavaliers and their chances of trading for LeBron James, making it clear that it'd be a pretty surprising turnout to see Cleveland put a deal together for him.

"If the Lakers are trading LeBron James, they're going to want really good stuff for it," Windhorst said. "With a straight face, I can't say that it's impossible, but you have to understand that they can't feasibly trade for him.

"With a straight face, I can't say that it's impossible, but you have to understand, they can't feasibly trade for him" - @WindhorstESPN on if the Cavs would trade for LeBron James. pic.twitter.com/odch1XhV3G
— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) July 8, 2025

The logistics of a LeBron trade happening (or not happening) with Cleveland comes down to the simple fact that the Cavaliers now sit in the second apron this offseason with hefty contracts being paid out to their starting five, headlined by the likes of Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley, who are each making over $46 million across next season.

And as the Cavs are above that second apron, it makes the concept of bringing in LeBron via trade extremely tough to draw up, not only due to the asking price that Los Angeles may have in mind for their franchise superstar, but also due to the restrictions tacked onto their second apron status.

Being above that second apron, the Cavaliers' ability to trade future first-round picks is frozen, they can't aggregate contracts within a trade, and are unable to include cash in any deal, either. So, for a seismic trade involving a name like LeBron, the route to Cleveland having the means to get a deal hashed out looks to be a tough one.

Dec 31, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) moves the ball against Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) during the first half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

As Windhorst noted, it's not an impossible feat to see the Cavaliers make such a deal to bring in LeBron, but far from the most favorable outcome for Cleveland ahead of their 2025-26 regular season.

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