The Cleveland Cavaliers must have been one of the happiest parties upon hearing of the news that LeBron James is not going to be returning to the Los Angeles Lakers for his 24th season in the NBA. After all, one would think that James would heavily consider returning to Cleveland for what could be his swan song, as it would be poetic for him to end his career with the team where it all began.
Reports have made it clear that James is going to sign with the team that sparks “happiness” in him, and at this point, it’s not quite clear what that means exactly. Perhaps what would make him happy is getting another chance at winning a title, which would be his fifth.
And for ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, who has covered James’ career up close for so long, he thinks that the Cavs would do well to pursue Jaylen Brown in a trade to signal to the NBA’s all-time leading scorer that they mean business on the championship front.
“Can the Cavs make a move for Jaylen Brown then come to LeBron and say, ‘How do you feel about us now? That’s the type of move you’re gonna do to get LeBron James’ attention,” Windhorst said on the NBA Today show.
“Can the Cavs make a move for Jaylen Brown then come to LeBron and say, 'How do you feel about us now? That’s the type of move you’re gonna do to get LeBron James’ attention.”
– Brian Windhorst 👀
(via @ESPNNBA) pic.twitter.com/JTZ0lkropX
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) July 1, 2026
The Cavs have needed a wing of Brown’s size and skillset for so long, as their roster has been a bit imbalanced for a while now. They have a talented backcourt (Donovan Mitchell/James Harden) and a solid frontcourt pairing (Evan Mobley/Jarrett Allen), and Brown would fill that need of theirs for a wing player who can do everything — a must-have for any team looking to win a title.
There are rumors linking the Cavs to a potential Mobley-Brown swap with the Boston Celtics. If James gives his seal of approval for that trade, Cleveland could finally bring the franchise GOAT back home.