Why Cavaliers fans believe LeBron James is returning to Cleveland thanks to rumor from bakery owner
After being eliminated from the NBA playoffs, all eyes on the Cleveland Cavaliers turn to the offseason, where the team could go in a variety of different directions.
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A possibility is pursuing LeBron James, who is set to hit free agency for the first time since leaving Cleveland for a second time in 2019. However, for James to sign with his hometown team, the Cavaliers will need to find a way to fit him into the team.
One fan, though, is confident that James will sign with Cleveland for a third stint with the team. If this inside information is correct, James would likely finish out his career with the same team that drafted him, to create a full-circle moment.
Here’s why a Cavaliers fan said James’ return is almost a foregone conclusion.
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Why Cavs fans think LeBron is returning to Cleveland
On ESPN Cleveland radio, one Cavaliers fan called in to explain that he has inside information that LeBron James will return to Cleveland for a third time.
«Charles Oakley came to my bakery all the time, he told me he met with Maverick Carter last week and he told me LeBron James is 95 percent coming to Cleveland,» the fan said. «Charles Oakley, LeBron James and MAverick Carter are all good friends.»
WE HAVE FAN SOURCES SAYING LEBRON IS 95% COMING BACK!!!!
LET IT BEGIN! pic.twitter.com/Cib5ITAkX0
— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) May 26, 2026
James and Carter are business partners who both hail from Akron, Ohio, but the connection with Oakley is less clear. However, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that James will want to finish his career back in Cleveland.
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Is LeBron James returning to Cavs?
While LeBron James is a free agent, the path to the Cavaliers signing him for next season is complicated. Cleveland already has an expensive team that takes up much of the salary cap, so James would either need to take a significant pay cut or the Cavaliers would need to clear a significant amount of cap space.
According to ESPN analyst Brian Windhorst, the Cavaliers plan on keeping Harden on a significant deal and James doesn’t plan on taking a pay cut. Those two ideas make it close to impossible for the Cavaliers to bring James back into the fold.
«To my knowledge, LeBron is not prepared to take that kind of pay cut,» — @WindhorstESPN breaks down the potential of a Cavs and LeBron reunion. https://t.co/6Req7aneby pic.twitter.com/BFlHGPWT6p
— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) May 26, 2026
Whichever team signs James will need to have the space to add a significant salary to its cap space, something that Cleveland doesn’t have at the moment. The Cavaliers enter the offseason with the third-least cap space remaining in the NBA.
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