A-Smith: James has a greater chance of winning the Cavaliers than in the Lakers

ESPN famous A Smith believes that if LeBron James returns to the Cleveland Cavaliers, he will have a smoother path to NBA championship competition. On FirstTake, A. Smith made this point, and the 40-year-old forward is about to start his 23rd NBA season with the Los Angeles Lakers.

"I followed the Cleveland Cavaliers last season, and I was a super fan of Donovan Mitchell. This brother is really special, but the problem of his lack of help during the playoffs is very obvious," said A. Smith. "They were eliminated - the Halliburton guys sent them home. Then I thought about Los Angeles, but we all knew that the answer was obvious. The only reason James stayed there was the weather and Hollywood, because he certainly couldn't win the championship there. It was impossible. Especially in the face of the Oklahoma City Thunder. Be careful with the Dallas Mavericks and don't underestimate the Houston Rockets, the Minnesota Timberwolves and Anthony Edwards have eliminated the Lakers."

"I like Redick very much. — He did a great job, and I think they were leaving Doncic in the right direction. Of course, that was taken for granted, he averaged 28 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists last season, which was considered a bad season for him. But specifically, things have reached such a point, and I think it is necessary to ask — why don’t you just go back to Cleveland and end your career there? His chances of winning the Cleveland Cavaliers are much greater than those with the Los Angeles Lakers. ”

A. Smith believes LeBron James has a clearer path to winning the championship with the Cavaliers earlier this summer, James chose to execute his $52.6 million player option to stay with the Lakers in the 2025-26 season. In the past season, he has played in 70 games, averaging 24.4 points, 8.2 assists, 7.8 rebounds and 1 steal, shooting percentage of 51.3% and three-point shooting percentage of 37.6%. The Lakers ranked third in the West with a record of 50-32, but were eliminated by the Minnesota Timberwolves in five games in the first round of playoffs.

At the same time, the Cavaliers scored a record of 64 wins and 18 losses, entering the playoffs as the number one seed in the East. However, they were eliminated by the Indiana Pacers in five games in the second round. Pacers guard Tyreth Halliburton later suffered a torn Achilles tendon during the NBA Finals, and Indiana eventually lost to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

A. Smith pointed out that changes in the NBA landscape were one of the reasons why he made this suggestion. "The West has a hard time to advance, to say the least, and in the East - the New York Knicks have a new coach, and their roster depth is questionable. Damian Lillard is no longer playing for the Milwaukee Bucks, he returns to the Portland Trail Blazers. So, what help do Giannis Antetokounmpo have with him? Jason Tatum will miss the entire season due to a torn Achilles tendon. We see how the Cleveland Cavaliers performed last year. The Indiana Pacers scored The Finals, but Halliburton will miss the entire season. Miles Turner is now a member of the Milwaukee Bucks. The Orlando Magic are rising by bringing in Bain, which we recognize, but they are still in the upward phase and have not really succeeded. If LeBron James returns to Cleveland, the Cavaliers will be the favorite to break out in the East. "

If James does return to Cleveland, this will be his third time for the Cavaliers. He remains the record holder of scores, assists and steals in the Cavaliers history, and in 2016 he brought the Cavaliers the only championship trophy in his history.