Cavaliers president refuses James to join unless he accepts a basic salary of 3.4 million. The starting lineup does not have a position in James.

The latest report by the well-known NBA reporter Sam Amike, the Cavaliers management has rejected LeBron James' proposal. Unless James is willing to accept a $3.4 million veteran basic salary contract, the Cavaliers' senior management will not have any trade or free agent signing to make James return for the second time.

The Cavaliers lost to the Pacers in five games to end a sweet and bitter season, and the future of this team is full of doubts, and management faces a lot of problems to deal with during the offseason. After the Cavaliers were eliminated in the Eastern Conference semi-finals, the reporter asked General Manager Kobe Altman whether he would consider James' return and lead the young Cavaliers to the finals and win the championship. Since the Lakers were eliminated in the first round, James has repeatedly stated that his future is full of uncertainty and has not decided whether to stay in the Lakers or join other teams as a free agent, including the option to return to Cleveland to play for two seasons. However, the Cavaliers management is not interested in James' return. At least under the existing labor-management agreement, the Cavaliers' senior management has no plan to split the team to make James's position.

"This 64-win team is basically a model of disciplined and creative team building in the new salary cap era." Kobe Altman said. "Due to injuries, luck, insufficient shooting stability, overlapping certain positions of the lineup, and excellent performance of the Pacers, we can only choose to go home early this season. The most important thing is to keep the lineup continuity." The NBA league is changing rapidly, and the Cavaliers, like the other 29 teams, have their chances of winning the championship are sometimes open and sometimes closed at an increasingly fast pace, and the new labor-management agreement rules will only make this faster. The Cavaliers will have three maximum salary contracts next season, Mitchell, Garland and Mobley. It is difficult to introduce any player with a maximum salary contract, and there is no position for James.

Entering the 2025 offseason, James will indeed consider returning to the Cavaliers. He has a $52.63 million player option in the 2025-26 season. He can execute the player option and return to the Cavaliers through a trade, or he can jump out of the contract and return to the Cavaliers as a free agent. Judging from the Cavaliers' playoff performance, injuries and lack of stability in players do require superstars like James with rich playoff experience. The addition of 40-year-old James to the Cavaliers' small forward position can also make the lineup more complete. However, the embarrassing thing is that the Cavaliers have no salary space to accept James' maximum salary contract, and the management does not intend to destroy the existing core lineup.

"We will ensure the long-range stability of Garland, Mitchell, Mobley and Allen, and make adjustments without giving up this lineup." Kobe Altman said that he had noticed the recent news about James returning to Cleveland to end his career. "James has experience in winning the championship. Although he is 40 years old, his ability is still at the highest level. He is still a player of the Lakers. The Cavaliers do not have enough salary space to sign James for the time being, and we do not intend to destroy the team's tactical system and the chemistry between the players."

Kobe Altman said that to sign a player like James or a deal, the Cavaliers have no plans to make this big deal. Next season, the Cavaliers' total salary is expected to reach $225 million, exceeding the second luxury tax collection line, and Kobe Altman rejected a proposal to clear the player contract to create conditions for James to return to Cleveland. "We can only sign players with a $3.4 million veteran minimum salary clause. Unless James can accept this contract, we will welcome him to the team, neither of us will have a chance." Kobe Altman believes that the Cavaliers must give up multiple players to make room for James. "James's script to return to Cleveland is beautiful. I don't think he will start the third chapter in the Cavaliers, at least not in the 2025-26 season."

The Cavaliers must give up Garland and Allen to create space for James, but doing so does not mean anything to the Cavaliers. "James is no longer meaningful to the Cavaliers. After losing two core players, James will not join such a team that has no championship strength." Sam Amik said, "What's more, James will not sign a veteran's basic salary contract to chase the fifth championship." The Cavaliers' lineup is already excellent enough. There is no need to break up the lineup with a bright future for James, who is about to retire, and the management does not need to give up the assets in his hands for the uncertain returns of James' retirement tour.

"The Cavaliers cannot be trapped in the fantasy of LeBron James returning home again." Sam Amik said that when James was selected 22 years ago, the fairy tale ending that every Clevelander wanted to see might come true, but if the Cavaliers want to make the right choice, they should return to reality from this fairy tale, focus on upgrading their existing core lineup, and forget James' script.