Cavaliers’ rival ruined Cleveland’s shot to keep LeBron James with superstar trade

In the 2010s, the Golden State Warriors intensified their rivalry with the Cleveland Cavaliers by acquiring Kevin Durant, creating an imbalance that prompted the Cavaliers to seek an equalizer to level the playing field.

The Cavaliers came close to securing a trade for Paul George, which would have involved sending Kevin Love to the Denver Nuggets and providing the Indiana Pacers with Gary Harris and multiple draft picks, as detailed in a discussion on The Athletic's NBA Daily podcast.

Yaron Weitzman, author of "A Hollywood Ending: The Dreams and Drama of the LeBron Lakers," revealed on the podcast that a trusted source close to LeBron James indicated if Paul George had been traded to Cleveland, LeBron would not have left the team, as the roster would have been strong enough to retain him.

The Pacers, whether through intelligence or assumption, recognized that finalizing the trade could lead LeBron to stay in Cleveland, and they opted against it to eliminate a threat in the Eastern Conference and Central Division, ultimately trading George to the Oklahoma City Thunder for Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis.

Following the collapse of the trade, the Cavaliers' roster further deteriorated, sealing LeBron James' decision to leave Cleveland for the Los Angeles Lakers for the second time in his career, after failing to overcome the Warriors.

LeBron's departure allowed the Cavaliers to rebuild into a strong contending team, fueling speculation about a potential reunion with him, while illustrating how events might have unfolded differently if the trade had occurred nearly a decade ago.