Stephen A. Smith: LeBron should return to Cavs if he actually wants to win

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Stephen A. Smith: LeBron should return to Cavs if he actually wants to win

Originally posted on Hoops Wire | By Sam Amico | Last updated May 6, 2026 4:39 PM ET

If LeBron James wants another ring, Stephen A. Smith has a pretty clear idea of where it should happen. Namely, back with the Cavs.

Smith said on ESPN that the current Lakers don’t look like a legitimate championship threat, especially with Luka Doncic sidelined by a hamstring injury and the defending champion Thunder, ya know, in the way.

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Meanwhile, the Cavs at least offer a path. And yes, that’s even with Cleveland trailing 1-0 in the East semifinals.

“You cannot look at the Lakers and legitimately say they’re in that championship equation,” Smith said. “We know how it’s going to end. Barring a catastrophic injury to mainly SGA, Lakers going home. In Cleveland, in the Eastern Conference, that would not be the case.”

Stephen A Smith thinks LeBron should go back to Cleveland to finish his career if he wants to actually win:

“You cannot look at the Lakers and legitimately say they’re in that championship equation. We know how’s it’s going to end. Barring a catastrophic injury to mainly SGA,… https://t.co/eX2zEBTREZ pic.twitter.com/2NEZJua8sy

— NBA Courtside (@NBA__Courtside) May 6, 2026

The Cavs, of course, are built around Donovan Mitchell, James Harden and Evan Mobley — a core that, despite the Game 1 stumble against Detroit, still offers more upside than what the Lakers are currently putting on the floor.

Whether any of that actually leads to a reunion with LeBron is another story.

But the conversation? Already here, and probably not going away.

More Cavs | Jeff Teague calls out Evan Mobley after Game 1 loss

This article first appeared on Hoops Wire and was syndicated with permission.

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