NBA scout says Cavs’ interest in LeBron is ‘minimal’: ‘He’s not going anywhere’

It would be nothing short of a storybook ending to LeBron James’ legendary career in the NBA if he were to return to the Cleveland Cavaliers ahead of the 2025-26 season.

But Hoops Wire’s Ashish Mathur reported just several days ago that the Cavaliers would only be interested in acquiring James in a buyout situation, and an unidentified scout has since given credence to the notion that Cleveland isn’t hugely interested in the 40-year-old.

The scout questioned a report that indicated that Cleveland made a call about acquiring James via trade and said that the Cavaliers’ interest in the NBA’s oldest player is “minimal, if they have any at all.”

“I keep hearing their interest (in James) is minimal, if they have any at all,” the scout told Hoops Wire. “So I’m not even sure where that report originated. Who’s the source on it? Rich Paul’s cleaning lady?”

The Cavs do have an open roster spot, but it likely won’t be filled by James.

“Yeah, well, I don’t think 40-year-old LeBron is the target,” the scout said. “He’s still very good most nights, at least offensively, but it doesn’t work for about a thousand reasons. And you can start with the fact he’s under contract for like 53 million bucks.”

Finally, the scout predicted that James isn’t going to leave the Lakers, but said that if he does, he won’t be returning to the Cavaliers.

“Look, LeBron and Rich Paul can play this game all they want, but who cares if teams are calling Rich Paul?” the scout said. “He’s not making a trade. He can demand one, sure. He could give the Lakers options of where LeBron would play if that were the case. But this is all just LeBron’s camp being mad about something, and who knows what?

“… He’s not going anywhere and if he does go somewhere, it won’t be Cleveland. The Cavaliers don’t need him. They’re building something really great there. I don’t think he puts them over the top at this stage of his career anyway.”

If James spends the 2025-26 season with the Lakers and then hits free agency, perhaps the situation will change. As it pertains to right now, there are rules in the way of the Cavs striking a trade for James, and a buyout doesn’t seem likely at all.

The future Hall of Famer was drafted by the Cavaliers with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft and spent his first seven seasons in the league with Cleveland.

It didn’t take him long to stake his claim as a bona fide NBA star in his first stint in Cleveland, as he averaged 20-plus points per game as a rookie and won the Rookie of the Year award in the 2003-04 season. He quickly became a perennial All-Star with the Cavs and eventually became an MVP.

Then, after he departed in the summer of 2010 and played four seasons alongside stars Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh on the Miami Heat, he returned for his second stint with the Cavaliers. He helped the team reach four consecutive NBA Finals and win its first title in franchise history in 2016 during that time.

While some Cavaliers fans might be disappointed that the anonymous scout poured cold water on a James reunion with the team, Cleveland has what it takes to be in the mix for the 2026 NBA title without James. After all, the Cavaliers more or less have the same team intact that won 64 games during the 2024-25 regular season and finished with the Eastern Conference’s top record.