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Rumors of a third LeBron James stint in Cleveland are heating up, but one anonymous NBA scout isn’t buying it.
“I keep hearing their interest is minimal, if they have any at all,” the scout told Sam Amico of HoopsWire. “So I’m not even sure where that report originated. Who’s the source on it? Rich Paul’s cleaning lady?… I don’t think 40-year-old LeBron is the target. He’s still very good most nights, at least offensively, but it doesn’t work for about a thousand reasons. And you can start with the fact he’s under contract for like 53 million bucks.”
The Cavaliers have reportedly been floated as a potential landing spot for James after he opted into his $52.6 million dollar player option with the Lakers. Yet the scout believes Cleveland is focused on its own young core.
“He’s not going anywhere and if he does go somewhere, it won’t be Cleveland,” the scout added. “The Cavaliers don’t need him. They’re building something really great there. I don’t think he puts them over the top at this stage of his career anyway.”
Even so, “a handful of teams” checked on James after Rich Paul said his client wants to stay in contention for championships, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst and Ramona Shelburne reported.
“One Eastern Conference executive was convinced James wanted out of LA,” Windhorst and Shelburne reported. “A handful of teams – including the Golden State Warriors, who tried to trade for James in 2023-24 – considered again whether to make an offer, sources said. One Western Conference executive chalked it up to an elaborate pout because the Lakers hadn’t offered James a new contract extension.”
Windhorst later doubled down during an appearance on ESPN Cleveland.
“And if the Lakers are trading LeBron James, they’re going to want really good stuff for it,” he said. “With a straight face, I can’t say that it’s impossible, but you have to understand, they can’t feasibly trade for him.”
READ MORE: NBA Fans Must Brace For Reality of LeBron Retiring After 2025-26
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