The whispers of LeBron James returning to Cleveland for one last ride are growing louder and they’re starting to echo inside the locker room. For a franchise still living in the long shadow of its former king, the idea of a reunion isn’t just sentimental. It’s seismic. But as speculation builds, the Cleveland Cavaliers’ current star is making one thing clear: this is his team now.

Ever since the Los Angeles Lakers visited Rocket Arena, reunion talk has been making headlines across the league. With James’ future constantly under the microscope and offseason chatter heating up, rumors have swirled about players around the NBA quietly hoping to team up with the four-time champion. Among the names loosely tied to that speculation was Donovan Mitchell.

But when asked directly about the possibility, Mitchell didn’t lean into the fantasy, he grounded it. “As a Bron fan, man, to be able to be a teammate obviously always be special,” Mitchell said when asked about potentially teaming up with James. “But that’s not something that, you know, is in my control. I control what we got here.”

Since LeBron’s 2018 departure, the Cavaliers endured four straight dismal seasons. Donovan Mitchell’s 2022 arrival sparked their first elite campaign without LeBron, transforming them into a league powerhouse. They posted the NBA’s second-best record last year. Amid offseason buzz, Mitchell’s eyes remain fixed on this season’s championship.

“There’s always gonna be reports. It’s natural. It’s gonna be a thing. But at the end of the day, my main focus right now is trying to get this championship, and whatever happens, it happens. Like, that’s not up to me. That’s not up to anybody else in the locker room. So I’m big on believing what I can control.”

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“But yeah, I mean, it’s LeBron James, right? But at the end of the day, that’s not my focus. I’m not here to worry about that. I know I’m gonna get asked about that a bunch all weekend, but my focus is we just traded for James Harden, Dennis Schroder, Keon Ellis. ‘Hey, let’s try to find a way to get a ring and go from there.'”

Mitchell didn’t say whether he was trying to recruit James for the next season. However, according to Kendrick Perkins, Mitchell and Harden both have amped up their effort to bring the Ohio-born to Cleveland. Moreover, new reports suggest that the Cavs want to have James in his retirement season and give him a perfect goodbye season.

NBA Insider gives fresh indication to LeBron James and Cavaliers reunion

Earlier this week, David Griffin said that it would be surprising to him if LeBron didn’t return to Cleveland for his potentially last NBA season. Since then, Jackson Flickinger, Jason Lloyd and Perkins have all indicated reports of the same offseason move. The newest addition to give a bit more life to the speculation was ESPN’s Tim MacMahon.

“There is rampant speculation around the league that this summer there’s going to be a reunion and potentially a retirement tour for the ages back home again with the Cleveland Cavaliers,” MacMahon told NBA Today on Friday.

When James first left Cleveland in 2010 to join the Miami Heat, the reaction was fury. Jerseys burned. Billboards came down. An owner’s letter made headlines. The departure felt final. But four years later, in 2014, James authored one of the most dramatic returns in sports history, announcing he was coming home. What followed reshaped the franchise forever.

Two seasons later, the Cavaliers delivered the city’s first NBA championship in 2016, defeating the Golden State Warriors after erasing a 3–1 Finals deficit. It wasn’t just a title – it was closure. Redemption. Proof that a reunion could work.

That history is why today’s speculation carries so much weight.

Cleveland is currently over the second apron, which certainly doesn’t make it easy for them to sign him. Their access to the mid-level exception will remain blocked unless they are under the first and second aprons.

Moreover, they would also have to make adjustments to access that exception. The Cavs can also exercise sign-and-trade if they can get under the first apron. The easy way would be to sign a minimum contract.

LeBron is not widely known for leaving money on the table. However, if it is his last season in the NBA and James chooses to return to his homeland, getting a massive pay cut shouldn’t come as a surprise.