For most of the offseason, the Cleveland Cavaliers were expected to sign LeBron James. As soon as he decided he was done playing for the Lakers, he was immediately linked to Cleveland. Even James Harden held off on signing an extension to see if they could land him.
In the end, the Cavs were unsuccessful in their attempts to sign James. James has decided to sign a two-year deal with the Philadelphia 76ers, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. Instead of having him finish his career back home, it looks like he is going to finish his career in Philly.
GettyLos Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James warms up before a game. (Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images)
Cavaliers Fail in Their Pursuit of LeBron James
For the last few weeks, the Cavaliers have still been seen as the favorites to land him. Until the Heat had the YouTube snafu, which saw them surge into the lead in the prediction markets. This is the worst-case scenario for the Cavaliers in terms of where he could sign.
With James playing for the Sixers, Philly now becomes one of the favorites to win the Eastern Conference. After making the Eastern Conference Finals, the Cavs were hoping James would be the missing piece to a title team. Now, they will have to fight the Sixers for the East crown.
Had the 76ers also not added Jaylen Brown, the Cavs might not have had to worry about the Sixers. With both Brown and James in their starting lineup, the Cavaliers now have to deal with two guys who can create their own shot. It makes their path much harder.
After spending the last three weeks relentlessly pursuing James, this is a big blow to the front office. Now, it looks like the Cavs will be adding a minimum contract to round out the bench instead of a true contributor. That likely won’t make them immediate contenders.
GettyLos Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James dribbles the ball in a game. (Photo by Joshua Gateley/Getty Images)
Where Cleveland Will Pivot Without LeBron James
Now that they have lost out on James, the Cavaliers have to figure out Harden’s extension. Harden will now have more leverage to sign for more money now that they aren’t trying to figure out a cap situation to fit James into. That might not be good for the Cavs.
Cleveland also lost Dean Wade to the Sixers, so they haven’t really replaced him in free agency. It looks unlikely that they will be able to land a significant contributor before the season begins, unless they somehow make a trade. That would be hard to pull off at this point.
It’s unlikely that James will return to Cleveland before his career is over. His two-year deal makes it likely that this is his final chapter, although he is the longest-tenured player in history. He does keep himself in great shape, which could lead him to play one more season elsewhere.
The fairytale of bringing James back home is over for next year, though.
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