After being swept in the NBA Finals by the Golden State Warriors, everyone is wondering where LeBron James will sign this offseason. Will it be the Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers, San Antonio Spurs, Philadelphia 76ers, or even the Warriors? It’s been very noisy in the rumor circle when it comes to James’ free agency, but there is one possibility that people are bypassing.
The possibility of him staying in Cleveland has been ignored because he didn’t receive too much help from his teammates during the playoffs. However, there is always the possibility that LeBron stays and instead recruits star players to his team.
Thunder superstar could be Cleveland’s target
There is a rumor that Thunder star Russell Westbrook may be recruited by James to join the Cleveland Cavaliers in a quest to win a championship. This notion that Westbrook would join LeBron has been surfaced by Cleveland Browns wide receiver Josh Cribbs.
It’s true that LeBron may try to actively recruit star players to Cleveland if he can because he still has his heart set out on ending his career with the Cavaliers. Unfortunately, acquiring Westbrook will be tricky since the All-Star point guard is about to enter the first year of his five-year, $205 million deal.
Even if Westbrook wanted out of Oklahoma City, his brand new long-term contract doesn’t give him much leverage.
Paul George’s decision will obviously make a huge difference in what the Thunder want to do. If George leaves, perhaps they may consider completely rebuilding.
However, if they were to trade Westbrook to Cleveland, they would have to take on the contracts of George Hill and Tristan Thompson. The Thunder would also want Cleveland’s eighth pick in the draft.
Hill and Thompson each have two more years remaining on their contracts, so it doesn’t make much sense for Oklahoma City to trade Westbrook to Cleveland.
Would Westbrook and James be a fit?
Even if somehow Westbrook went to Cleveland, would he be a fit with LeBron? Both James and Westbrook are ball dominant players, who have a very similar style of play.
It would be hard to imagine one or the other would be able to succeed playing off the ball. There is no denying that these two players are absolutely dominant scorers and playmakers, but they both need the ball in their hands for most of the game to be fully effective.
Westbrook joining the Cavs doesn’t make sense both financially and on the court, but it’s not going to stop LeBron James from recruiting anyone he can. If anything, James can always join Westbrook in Oklahoma City via free agency to replace Paul George, if he leaves. That may be a more probable option.
