ESPN insider reveals major roadblock preventing LeBron James from returning to Cavaliers

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James. Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

ESPN insider reveals major roadblock preventing LeBron James from returning to Cavaliers

By Anne Erickson | Last updated May 27, 2026 12:13 AM ET

The Los Angeles Lakers are officially in the offseason, and LeBron James is on the way to being an unrestricted free agent for the first time since 2018.

So, will James retire, come back to the Lakers or move onto another NBA franchise? That's the million dollar, or multi-million dollar, question.

James, of course, started his story with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Now that the Cavs' season is done and they have some explaining to do, some are dreaming of a scenario where James would end up back where it all started, in Cleveland, for his final run in the NBA.

But, not so fast. Now, one NBA analyst is explaining why this is highly unlikely to happen.

Why LeBron James won't likely end up with the Cleveland Cavaliers

So, why won't James going to the Cavs work? It's all about the bag.

According to ESPN NBA insider and analyst Brian Windhorst, the Cavaliers can't pay nearly what James would want to play basketball next season.

"The Cavs, today, can sign LeBron for $3 million dollars," Windhorst stated on Monday. "He made $54 million this year. To my knowledge, LeBron is not prepared to take that type of pay cut."

"To my knowledge, LeBron is not prepared to take that kind of pay cut," - @WindhorstESPN breaks down the potential of a Cavs and LeBron reunion. https://t.co/6Req7aneby pic.twitter.com/BFlHGPWT6p
— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) May 26, 2026

That would be a massive pay cut. Do the math, and it's actually more than a 90% pay cut. Who would be willing to take that at work? So, it makes sense that James wouldn't want to take that kind of cut, even if it meant going back to where it all began in a full-circle moment.

According to research from NBC Sports, Golden State, New York and Denver are also only able to offer much lower than what James would want, at around $3.9 million next season.

For now, the Lakers seem to be one of the only teams that have enough money to sign James for another season. He may not make $54 million with them next season, but he'll certainly make well more than $3 million.

Anne Erickson

Anne Erickson is an award-winning news reporter covering the NFL, NBA, college sports and more for Yardbarker. Erickson has years of experience covering the NFL and other sports, and her work has been published by Fox Sports, ESPN and Newsweek, among others. She has also interviewed a bevy of big names in sports and entertainment, including Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff, Lions edge Aidan Hutchinson and Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott

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