Kevin Garrett Wants LeBron To End Career With Cleveland Cavaliers

Former NBA great Kevin Garnett has enjoyed many battles with LeBron James when he was at the Cleveland Cavaliers and thinks he should end his career at home.

February 20, 2022; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; NBA greats Kevin Garnett (left) and LeBron James (right) are honored for being selected to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team during halftime in the 2022 NBA All-Star Game at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images | Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

With the NBA offseason in motion, the big question circling around the rumour mill is where LeBron James will end up on what will more likely be his last dance as he winds down his glorious career.

Despite James being heavily linked to a return to the Cleveland Cavaliers, it is likely he will re-sign with the Los Angeles Lakers, as the Cavs are unable to offer the 41-year-old the contract he is willing to accept.

However, the fairytale ending to James’ NBA career in his home town is too attractive for some to ignore, most notably former champion Kevin Garnett, who has faced off against James many times in his legendary career, most notably when KG was a member of the Boston Celtics, and LeBron was a Cavalier.

KG wants James to go back home to Cleveland

No doubt, it would be an unforgettable ending to one of the most illustrious careers if James agreed to terms to go back to the Cavs, which would be his third stint with the Wine and Gold.

And Garnett feels that it is something James should seriously consider, despite the odds being stacked against it.

"If you're doing a farewell tour and this is his last hurrah, I would like to see him in Cleveland. Take a pay cut, go back somewhere," Garnett said on the Ticket & The Truth podcast with his former Celtics teammate, Paul Pierce.

However, it’s been heavily rumored that the Cavaliers, who have the largest player salary cap in the NBA, cannot offer James what he wants.

The veteran is hitting unrestricted free agency from his expiring contract with the Lakers, worth $52.6 million. The best Cleveland can offer is a veteran’s minimum below $4 million.

If the Cavs are desperate to land LeBron, then they would have to offload a host of their current roster just to accommodate the forward, with Jarrett Allen, Sam Merrill, Dennis Schroder and Dean Wade hypothetically heading to LA for James.

A move that would ultimately make no sense, as it would leave the Cavs lacking in depth, despite clearing a lot of their player salary, but then using it almost exclusively on James, who is at the tail end of his career, as he enters an astonishing 24th season.

James has also been linked with moves to the Miami Heat and Golden State Warriors, with James signalling at a possible retirement, but only when he knows his heart is no longer in it.