LeBronWatch: Kawhi To The Cavs, Keeping LeBron Put

From Cleveland.com’s Terry Pluto comes a report that the Cleveland Cavaliers “are one of several teams making calls to San Antonio about Kawhi Leonard.”

We already know that LeBron James definitely will leave in free agency this summer to play in New York, Denver, Los Angeles, and not Houston, and this newest report of phone calls confirms that he is a lock to stick with the Cavs.

Bringing the NBA’s premier two-way wing to Cleveland would convince LeBron James to pick up his player option for the 2018-19 season. It’s extremely easy to see how it would all go down: an enticing package of former Spur and 32-year-old George Hill, Cedi Osman, the No. 8 pick, and the rights to LeBron James Jr. should beat anything else that the Spurs could get for Leonard, who has been clamoring to get out of San Antonio. And the possibility of relocating to Ohio should override Leonard’s reported preference for Los Angeles or New York.

California was never going to happen for Kawhi, anyway: Chris Sheridan’s report at GetMoreSports said the Spurs will not deal Leonard within the Western Conference. If the Spurs are seeking an Eastern Conference trade partner loaded with juicy assets—promising young players, future first-rounders—then their only plausible option is, of course, Cleveland. You heard it here: LeBron James isn’t going anywhere this summer. Tyronn Lue’s posture is about to improve dramatically.