INGLEWOOD, CA - JANUARY 19: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers and James Harden #1 of the LA Clippers during the game against the LA Clippers on January 19, 2025 at Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by Juan Ocampo/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty ImagesJackson FlickingerSat, February 14, 2026 at 3:30 AM UTC·3 min readThe rumors about LeBron James returning to the Cleveland Cavaliers after this season have been somewhat non-stop since he played against his former team last month. Since then, there was a report that the Cavs would welcome James back, The Athletic said a return to Cleveland would be the “obvious destination,” veteran reporter Jason Lloyd said LeBron will be playing in Cleveland next season if anywhere, and Donovan Mitchell and James Harden are rumored to be recruiting him.
We have one more rumor to add to that list.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementOn Friday, ESPN’s Tim McMahon said on NBA Today that there’s “rampant speculation” around the league that James will sign with Cleveland for a potential retirement tour this summer.
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At this point, it feels like LeBron will be returning home to Cleveland unless he retires after this season. What that would look like from a salary perspective remains to be seen.
The Cavs are currently over the second apron. They would not have access to the full mid-level exception unless they got under both aprons and then cut additional salary to carve out a spot for that exception. There’s also the possibility of a sign-and-trade if the Cavs get below the first apron. Or, James could opt to sign for a minimum contract.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementIt’s pointless to speculate too much on the finances at this point. There’s numerous scenarios for making this work from a cap perspective. If both sides want James to play in Cleveland, they’ll find a way to make it happen as they did back in 2014.
Even though LeBron is 41 years old, he’s still playing at an exceptionally high level. He recorded a triple-double in his last outing in the Los Angeles Lakers‘ win over the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday. On the season, James is averaging 22 points, 7.1 assists, and 5.8 rebounds on .502/.305/.746 shooting splits in a mostly supporting role alongside Luka Doncic.
We’ll see how this plays out. In the meantime, we can rest assured that there’s going to be plenty more rumors about James returning to Cleveland between now and July.
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