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NBA Exec Can See Cavaliers ‘Going Hard’ After LeBron James Next Summer If They Don’t Win 2026 Title

Originally posted on Hoops Wire | By Sam Amico | Last updated Aug 9, 2025 7:13 PM ET

If the Cleveland Cavaliers don’t win the 2026 title, an NBA exec can see them “going hard” after LeBron James next summer.

James, 40, becomes a free agent next summer for the first time since 2018. He will make $52.6 million next season in the final year of his contract with the Los Angeles Lakers.

“Next season is a big year for Cleveland,” the NBA executive told Cavaliers Nation. “Tyrese [Haliburton] is out. Jayson [Tatum] is most likely out. The East is wide open. It’s there for the Cavaliers to take. They should win the conference next season. There’s no excuses. And once you get to the Finals, anything can happen. I actually think they match up really well against OKC.

“I’ll tell you this right now: If the Cavaliers don’t win it all next season, I can see them going hard after LeBron. Everyone knows Dan [Gilbert] wants to win a title without him, but if they can’t win the championship next season, adding LeBron to that group would be a cheat code. I know he’ll be 42, but it’s LeBron. He will always be an elite force.”

James has played for the Cavaliers twice. He spent the first seven years (2003-10) of his career with the franchise and played for Cleveland again from 2014-18 after spending four seasons (2010-14) with the Miami Heat.

The leading scorer in NBA history guided the Cavaliers to the 2016 championship against the Golden State Warriors in seven games. James will get his No. 23 jersey retired by Cleveland one day.

If James decides to play in 2026-27, he has the option of leaving the Lakers next summer since he’ll be an unrestricted free agent. The four-time MVP and four-time Finals MVP will always be linked to the Cavaliers since he’s from Akron, Ohio.

James is the oldest active player in the NBA. He averaged 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, 8.2 assists, 1.0 steals and 0.6 blocks for the Lakers last season, making the All-NBA Second Team and finishing sixth in MVP voting at the age of 40.

If James joins the Cavaliers next summer, Kenny Atkinson could start Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, James, Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley during the 2026-27 season. That would be a dangerous starting lineup.