‘I think I can speak for the Cavs’: NBA insider jokes about the contract that Cleveland would bring LeBron James back for

At age 40, LeBron James opted into another year with the Los Angeles Lakers before he’s set to become a free agent next summer. That said, there’s still a possibility James could be traded at some point. While teams have shown interest in the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, the Lakers are not actively pursuing a trade.

“He told me that he has not had any discussion with the Lakers about wanting a trade,” ESPN’s Dave McMenamin said last week. “He did say that four teams have contacted him in the last 24 hours wanting to talk trades, but Rich didn’t have any substantive conversations with those teams either.”

The Lakers are reportedly looking to the future and considering a rebuild around star guard Luka Dončić. James, still playing at an elite level at age 40, could net the Lakers a solid return in a potential deal. One team that continues to be mentioned is a possible return to Cleveland. However, making that move would be difficult for the Cavs, who are currently operating under the second apron of the salary cap.

On Tuesday, one NBA insider was asked whether the Cavs would consider bringing back James on a veteran minimum deal if he were bought out. The answer wasn’t surprising.

“At the veteran minimum, yes—I think I can speak for the Cavs organization and say that if LeBron wanted to play for $3 million, they would do that contract. I can speak for Dan Gilbert,” Brian Windhorst said with a laugh.