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The spotlight will be on LeBron James this summer.
The established Los Angeles Lakers superstar could retire from the NBA, return for another season with the Lakers, or sign with a different organization in a ring-chasing offseason move (he has a $52.6 million player option).
CBS Sports’ Ashley Nicole Moss recently floated the idea of James abandoning Luka Doncic and the Lakers and inking a deal with the organization that selected him with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2003 draft.
"When you talk about Cleveland (Cavaliers), this is probably going to be LeBron’s last stop,” Moss said Tuesday. It’ll be a homecoming, it’ll be the perfect bow on an illustrious career for him. Obviously, this is where it all began, the kid from Akron (Ohio).”
"I think the Cleveland Cavaliers are in a phenomenal position. We’re watching them right now; they’re the best team in the Eastern Conference. They have Kenny Atkinson, who I think is a phenomenal coach."
"This is not a needle mover, essentially, in the sense that they don’t need LeBron to win; they’re already in that direction; they’re already on that path.”
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“This would be more of a nostalgic move. This wouldn’t be a ‘I’m here to help you win a championship’ move because I think the Cavs are going to manage that on their own accord.”
James likely wouldn’t be the player he is today if he hadn’t landed with the Cavaliers 22 years ago.
Recently fired Sacramento Kings head coach Mike Brown’s willingness to develop the unique 6-foot-9 talent helped him improve his game substantially in Cleveland.
James was a multiple-time All-Star, NBA Rookie of the Year award winner, and two-time MVP with the Cavaliers, to name a few noteworthy accolades during his first stint with the franchise.
James bolted for the Miami Heat during the 2010 free agency period after Cleveland fell to the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
However, it wasn’t long before the 40-year-old forward, who secured two championships with the Heat, traveled back to his first NBA home.
James signed with the Cavaliers during the 2014 offseason, giving Cleveland and their fan base hope for the future.
Thanks to James and Kyrie Irving’s heroic 2015-16 contributions, the Cavaliers won their first-ever championship after defeating the Golden State Warriors in a memorable seven-game NBA Finals series.
As a member of the Lakers, James has won a championship title and continued to bolster his already impressive Hall of Fame resume.
A return to Cleveland this summer would be epic, as Moss wisely noted.
However, the Cavaliers are in a good spot without James on their roster, and their status should remain the same if James doesn’t sign with them in the offseason.
Additionally, James and Doncic have unfinished business in Los Angeles, potentially factoring into the three-time All-Star's highly anticipated summer decision.
More NBA: Lakers' superhuman $101 million forward could reunite with Heat this summer, per analyst
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