Why a ClutchPoints insider is buying the hype about LeBron James leaving the Lakers for the Cavs

Surrounding speculation LeBron James and his future with the Los Angeles Lakers continue to intensifywith one league insider openly embracing the idea of ​​returning to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

On the latest episode of Clutch Scoops, ClutchPoints NBA insider Brett Siegel said yes believes momentum is building according to James, who is leaving Southern California for his third stint in Cleveland this summer.

“Everybody around the league, even at the trade deadline, felt that his time with the Lakers was over and it looked like he was going to go back to Cleveland,” Siegel said. “And that’s been the idea since that game in Cleveland.”

Siegel pointed to James’ deep ties to the city as a driving factor behind the growing belief.

“We know how much that city means to him. He’s from there, he still has family, and he still does a lot for that community even though he’s halfway across the country,” Siegel said. “So I think at 24, at this point, I’d be shocked if he doesn’t come back to Cleveland. I just see him taking a discount to do it. Is it a minimum deal, is it going to free up space to offer him something else. I don’t see anyway, A, he’s going back to the Lakers and B, why he’d want to finish his career with some new team.”

. @TomerAzarli and @BrettSiegelNBA live to talk about the NBA All-Star Game, tanking issues + some early NBA offseason data!https://t.co/duIKN4TFkL

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) February 19, 2026

Cavaliers are short on prospects, potential fuel for Lakers exit prospect LeBron James

Siegel added that the potential Cavaliers roster with James next to James Harden, Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley could instantly turn Cleveland into contender status in the Eastern Conference.

ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reported Wednesday that the Cavaliers will only be able to offer James veteran minimum contract under current constraints.

James (41) remains under contract with Los Angeles and is already in his eighth season with the franchise and 23rd overall. He is averaging 22 points, 7.1 assists, 5.8 rebounds and 1.1 steals in 36 games while shooting 50.2 percent from the field and 30.5 percent from three-point range in 36 games. The Lakers enter the second half of the season at 33-21, sitting in fifth place in the Western Conference standings.

Los Angeles resumes action on Friday night against the Los Angeles Clippers at 7pm PT on ESPN.

Cleveland, 34-21 and fourth in the Eastern Conference, returns from the All-Star break Thursday night when it hosts the Brooklyn Nets at 4 p.m. PT. The Cavaliers are riding a five-game winning streak.

While no decision has been made and James has not publicly addressed his long-term plans, Siegel’s comments underscore a growing belief around the league that another chapter in Cleveland could be on the horizon.