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00:00Chris Fedor, Cleveland.com, the Wine and Gold Talk podcast, Cleveland Plain Dealer.
00:05Joining us on the Wise Heart Right, we make it right. Call Kyle Wright Hotline. Chris,
00:09good morning. Thanks so much for the time. Did you happen to see Rich Paul on Game On?
00:17I sure did. I can't remember the last time an agent went on a video podcast
00:28and did a comprehensive breakdown of free agent destinations. I can't wait to get home.
00:36I'm looking forward to our conversation. I'm looking forward to the final 57 minutes here
00:40with Coach Riz. I can't wait to race home and watch this thing now.
00:44It's pretty incredible. I think it just gives you a window into what he's thinking and what
00:49LeBron's thinking and all the different things that they're weighing when it comes into this
00:53particular decision. So anytime you can get that kind of access, it's pretty fascinating because
01:00I think sometimes it's not necessarily something that we always think about. I think maybe sometimes
01:07we just assume that LeBron has already made his decision or some of these free agents have already
01:12made their decision and we don't have a general understanding of everything that goes into it.
01:18I mean, Rich was even going into some of the executives on both sides, the executives for
01:24the 76ers, for the Cavs, other people that are involved beyond just what does the roster look
01:31like, what kind of money do they have to give and all that kind of stuff. So I'm fascinated by
01:36all
01:36those inner workings type things.
01:39Chris, as I, you know, I haven't listened to the whole, you know, whole podcast yet, but one of
01:43the things that stuck out to me is when Rich Paul said, oh, they weren't giving up Mobley. Don't
01:48worry about that. Do you think, do you think this has been in the works? Do you think that LeBron
01:53maybe had influence on some of the decisions that are being made on coming back here? Or do you think
01:57that was just something I was hearing? I just don't, the tone of his voice said that he knew a
02:02lot more
02:03than he led on there with not getting rid of Mobley when they were talking about Mobley for
02:08Giannis. Do you think there's anything to that?
02:11I think Rich is one of the most connected guys in the entire NBA, guys. I think he has an
02:17understanding of the way that the Cavs are thinking, the way that the Bucs are thinking,
02:22the way that the Celtics are thinking, the way that all these different teams are thinking. And I
02:26think what Rich has understood is very similar to what the rest of the NBA is starting to understand
02:33that, you know, if the Cavs are not going to be willing to trade Evan Mobley for somebody
02:39the caliber of Giannis. And look, there were a lot of questions about Giannis, his age,
02:43his contract situation. Does he want to re-sign an extension in the place where he would get traded
02:49if it was Cleveland? Some of the leg injuries that he's had recently, but, you know, that's a top
02:55five player in the game. So if the Cavs aren't willing to entertain trading Evan Mobley for that
03:01caliber player, and they weren't willing to have discussions with Boston related to Evan Mobley.
03:07Now the Cavs had discussions with Boston, I'm told, but it wasn't for Evan. It was for lesser
03:12packages to try and get Jalen Brown. But if they're not going to trade Evan Mobley for those caliber
03:19players, that means he's not going anywhere because who are you going to trade Evan Mobley for?
03:24So I think that's what it is. The Cavs have given off this impression to teams around the NBA that
03:31Evan Mobley is very close to untouchable. And I think Rich was just reacting to that. And if he
03:36wasn't going to be traded for Giannis, and if he wasn't going to be traded for Jalen Brown, I think
03:42it's logical for Rich to look at it and say, well, he's not going anywhere. But I don't think it's,
03:48you know, LeBron has told the Cavs or the Cavs are preparing for LeBron's return. So they're
03:53doing everything that LeBron wants them to do, or everything that Rich Paul wants them to do.
03:59It's just that the Cavs believe that much in Evan Mobley, and they have since the minute that
04:03they drafted him. And that doesn't mean that they're right in their decision. It doesn't
04:07mean that they're right in their stance, and it doesn't mean that they're going to be proven right.
04:11But it's the kind of guy that there are people inside the front office that say,
04:15he's close to untouchable.
04:18Chris, after watching this Rich Paul conversation here, has your opinion, your view, your thought
04:28of what you might feel like is going to happen here in the Summer of LeBron Part 4 slash Summer
04:35of LeBron 2026 edition, like, did it change or move the needle for you as far as where you
04:43think LeBron is going to end up? No, I don't think so. Because I think this is a hard one,
04:49guys. I think this one for LeBron in terms of free agency is different than some of the ones in
04:55the
04:55past where we just don't have all that much clarity on what is going to be the driving force of
05:01this
05:02decision. Like in the past, when LeBron was a free agent, you knew the things that he was looking
05:08for. Did you have a max salary cap space? What does the roster look like? Can you compete for
05:14a championship? And there were obviously some other factors. But the fact that LeBron and Rich
05:20Paul has come out and said, like, this is not a money driven decision that just brings in other
05:27contenders that you probably would have eliminated in past years. And you probably would have eliminated
05:32from the beginning of this whole thing, right? Because not everybody in the past has had the
05:37kind of money that LeBron wanted. But the fact that he's willing to take the mid-level exception,
05:44something below what his market value would be, that makes him maybe the biggest bargain in the
05:50entire NBA. And now all of a sudden, Philly's in it, right? Now all of a sudden, Boston could be
05:54in
05:55it. Now all of a sudden, Golden State, these high-priced teams that don't have a lot of financial
06:00flexibility. Suddenly, they're in the mix. So now it's more, I think, it feels like it's more about,
06:06okay, where can he go to compete for a championship? Now how I look at the Cavs, how I look
06:13at the 76ers,
06:14how I look at some of these other teams may not be how LeBron looks at them or may not
06:18be
06:18how Rich Paul looks at them. So I do think it's difficult to define happiness for LeBron. And I
06:25think it's very interesting and maybe purposeful that Rich and LeBron have talked about happiness,
06:33because that's a vague term that doesn't really give, you know, a full window into what this
06:42decision is going to be about. And when it's all said and done, you know, some people might
06:47criticize, some people may look at the decision, but Rich and LeBron can say, well, that's the place
06:53that makes LeBron the happiest. But how you define that happiness, that's not for me to decide.
06:59That's not for you to decide. That's not for anybody to decide, because somebody's, one person's
07:04definition of happiness may be very different than somebody else's definition of happiness.
07:09So I think at this point, you kind of just have to go based on the reporting that's out there
07:14through Rich Paul, the things that he's saying, and determine, okay, what situation is going to be
07:22the best definition of happiness for LeBron. And that's very, very difficult, obviously.
07:28But that's all that we can go on at this point.
07:31The other thing that Rich made clear in this podcast that while, and I'll raise my hand and
07:38say I'm guilty of this, like the assumption this is LeBron's last year, he made it very clear,
07:43no, no one's saying that it's his last year. So now I'm hypothesizing,
07:48this will be LeBron's last stop. And it'll be a multi-year deal, maybe a one-year deal with player
07:54options or whatever, but whatever decision he's going to make that makes him happy,
07:57this now will be LeBron's final stop of his career. Your thoughts on that?
08:03Yeah, I think there's a possibility of that. I don't think LeBron wants to go, well,
08:08I don't want to say that he doesn't want to go through this again, because he does like the
08:14attention. He does like being in the spotlight. He does like being loved. He likes being valued,
08:19too. And when you have a 41-year-old guy toward the end of his career, and you've got all
08:26these
08:26teams that are expressing interest in him, and rightfully so, but that's something that LeBron
08:33has liked in the past. And given the way that he was treated by the Los Angeles Lakers over the
08:40last
08:40year, year and a half, I do think this is meaningful to LeBron that these other teams
08:46around the NBA are saying, like, hey, no, we do want you. We do see the value. We are going
08:53to woo
08:53you. We are going to do these kinds of things that appeal to you, that the Lakers weren't willing to
09:01do for you. So I don't want to sit here and say that LeBron doesn't like this level of attention,
09:08and he doesn't want to go through this again at the end of his career. But it is something where,
09:15like, I don't think he wants to just keep bouncing from team to team to team to team.
09:20I do think there is a level of stability and consistency that he may be looking for,
09:27at least at the tail end of his career. And I wouldn't be surprised if this is the last,
09:32you know, the last stop in his journey. Now, does that mean that it's definitely Cleveland? Like,
09:39no, I don't think that definitely means that it's Cleveland. But I do think, you know, when you're
09:44talking about happiness and what that means for somebody like LeBron, the Cavs can offer a level
09:50of nostalgia. They can offer the kind of sendoff that Miami can't, that Philadelphia can't, that
09:56Denver can't, that some of these other teams can't. And now you just wonder, you know, how much does that
10:02way into this decision versus what does the roster look like in Philadelphia? What does the roster
10:08look like in Denver? And all those different kinds of things. Chris, when you talk about,
10:13when you take out the emotion and you do talk about that basketball, let's say LeBron's in Cleveland,
10:18what does he bring? Is it half-court offense, playmaking, late game execution, leadership?
10:23What does he bring to Cleveland and who does he impact on the roster most right now if he was
10:28to be
10:28a Cleveland Cavalier? Yeah, guys, LeBron impacts everybody. That's the great thing about LeBron is
10:34the minute that he goes to an organization, guys benefit. Guys look better, they play better,
10:41they believe to a different kind of level. That's been who he's been throughout the course of his
10:47career. You talk about all the different guys that have benefited from playing alongside LeBron and
10:52the easier looks that they get, the kinds of money that they're able to get because of playing
10:59alongside LeBron, Matthew Delevdova, Timofei Mozgov, you know, Mike Miller, look at all these
11:04different kinds of guys, Tristan Thompson. They've all benefited. They've benefited from a basketball
11:10standpoint. They've benefited from a financial standpoint. So I think everybody would improve
11:15on this team. I think he would help Evan Mobley. I think he'd help Jared Allen if they're both on
11:19the
11:19team. I think he would help Donovan Mitchell. I think Donovan Mitchell would help him. And yeah,
11:24from a basketball standpoint, you can look at it and say the biggest thing he would do is give the
11:30Cavs a two-way wing, a starting caliber small forward, the biggest hole in their roster, right?
11:36But I think the thing that this group needs the most from LeBron is just a level of leadership,
11:43a level of willingness to say difficult things behind the scenes. And look, his leadership style
11:52is not always for everybody. And sometimes people are critical of it because he can be passive
11:58aggressive. He can say some things either through the media or he can say some things on social media.
12:05He always had this phrase that he used when he was here in Cleveland. It was about learning how to
12:11be
12:11comfortable in the uncomfortable. And he wanted the group that he had here in Cleveland to learn how
12:19to be uncomfortable because the playoffs are uncomfortable. The playoffs are going to be
12:25adversity. They're going to be difficulties that you deal with. So how do you handle those things when
12:31they arise? And if you can create that chaos, you can create that drama during the regular season
12:37and you have to go through it to that level. Now, maybe you're better equipped to handle it when
12:42it does pop up in the playoffs. So I think, you know, this Cavs group has a lot of nice
12:48guys.
12:49But I think LeBron is the kind of guy who will bring something different behind the scenes,
12:56a different kind of personality behind the scenes that this team really, really needs.
13:00And the other thing is, who on the Cavs has been an NBA champion? Nobody. Now, these guys have won.
13:07You know, Donovan Mitchell knows how to win in the NBA. James Harden knows how to win in the NBA.
13:12But they don't know how to win at the highest level. They don't know what that looks like.
13:17They don't know what it takes. LeBron does. So that championship pedigree that he can bring to this team
13:23that is missing, that has shown up in the past in playoff series against the Indiana Pacers
13:29and against the New York Knicks most recently in the conference finals.
13:33There's just something different that LeBron has that this group is lacking.
13:39And I think those kinds of intangible things are really, really important for this organization
13:45to take the next step.
13:47Last one for you here, Chris. There's clearly an arms race going on right now.
13:52Giannis to Miami, Jalen to Philadelphia, Kawhi back to Toronto.
13:59Is there a move for the Cavaliers here?
14:03It feels like Kobe's been trying to do something.
14:05I can't imagine he's just sitting around watching things go by.
14:09He's obviously trying to do something.
14:11But is there a move that could put the Cavaliers over the top here to get LeBron?
14:17Well, that's the thing.
14:18I don't think, from a roster-related standpoint, as it currently stands right now, guys,
14:24is I don't think the Cavs have the best one to show LeBron.
14:27I think Philly does.
14:29I think Denver has a strong argument as well, right?
14:33But I also think it's a pretty good roster.
14:36You've got arguably four of the top 50 players in the NBA,
14:40and then LeBron would fill in the remainder of that starting lineup.
14:44I don't think there's something that the Cavs can do,
14:48given the financial constraints that they're working under,
14:51that all of a sudden they make X move, and all of a sudden LeBron's like,
14:56hey, now the Cavs have a better roster-related setup than Philadelphia
15:01because they're not getting somebody like Jalen Brown, right?
15:04They're not getting somebody like Giannis.
15:06If they're not going to trade Evan Mobley, and all indications are that they aren't,
15:11they're not getting that caliber player to add to this equation.
15:15Now, are there smaller moves that they can make?
15:18Sure.
15:19Yeah, no doubt.
15:20They could see what they could get for Jared Allen and some other things.
15:24They could see what they can get for Max Struess' expiring contract.
15:28They could see if there's anything that they could get for Dennis Schroeder's contract,
15:32or they could salary dump him and try and use that money in a different kind of way.
15:36But I don't think if the Cavs went out and they signed and traded for Jonathan Kaminga,
15:43like I don't think that's going to move the needle.
15:45All of a sudden LeBron's like, hey, you guys got Jonathan Kaminga coming off the bench.
15:51Now all of a sudden you look a lot better from a roster standpoint.
15:56Or if the Cavs went out and signed some free agent with the veterans minimum,
16:01which is all that they can offer free agents at this point in time based on their financial situation,
16:06I don't think LeBron's going to be like, hey, all right, now that looks better than Denver.
16:11So I think their roster is kind of what it is.
16:15I think the talent that they can offer LeBron and the situation that they can offer from a basketball standpoint
16:21is kind of what it is.
16:24And I don't think they need to do anything drastic because if LeBron can't see four of the top 50
16:32players
16:32on the same team, that's the thing.
16:34Like from a roster standpoint, all of these teams, if you're talking about Denver,
16:39if you're talking about Minnesota, if you're talking about Philadelphia,
16:42you can throw out all these teams that have expressed interest in LeBron that Rich Paul put on his whiteboard,
16:48right?
16:48Yeah.
16:49Which one of those is a bad basketball situation?
16:52There aren't any.
16:53Yeah.
16:53This isn't Washington, right?
16:55You know, the Brooklyn Nets aren't on that whiteboard for a reason.
16:58Like he's looking at legitimate places where he can win.
17:02Miami, same thing with Giannis and Bam now together.
17:05So none of those situations that are up on that whiteboard are bad basketball situations.
17:11All of those teams with LeBron on them is going to have a chance to compete and maybe possibly win
17:19a championship.
17:19So I think it's going to be the smallest of things potentially that end up swaying this decision.
17:27But it's certainly not going to be the Cavs going out and getting Jonathan Kaminga or some free agent with
17:32the veterans minimum
17:34or like trading for P.J. Washington or something along those lines.
17:38I think the Cavs, their roster as it stands right now, is appealing enough to go on that whiteboard.
17:45And there's a strong case that, you know, of those teams that are up on that whiteboard,
17:52the Cavs have one of the best rosters as it stands without making a significant shakeup.
17:58Chris, you're the best.
17:59Appreciate you.
18:00We'll be checking you out in the Wine and Gold Talk podcast, Cleveland.com, The Plain Dealer.
18:06And, you know what, I was convinced he was coming home, and now you've set me straight.
18:11Of course, now my opinion's been blown with the breeze as the days go by.
18:15Now I'm back to he's not coming home.
18:17Thanks a lot.
18:18Well, you just can't be convinced of anything when it comes to LeBron James and a free agency decision.
18:24Was the Miami decision popular?
18:26No.
18:26Was the Los Angeles Lakers decision popular?
18:29No.
18:29So he's not always going to go for what is the most popular or the most obvious decision.
18:35I do think that the Cavs have a strong chance.
18:37I think they've got the nostalgia.
18:38I think they've got the home thing.
18:40I think they've got the emotional ties.
18:43And they have a strong roster that would be appealing to LeBron where he would think,
18:48hey, this team has a chance to compete.
18:50So I do think they have a strong chance.
18:52Absolutely.
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