The Cleveland Cavaliers are in a tailspin unlike anything we’ve seen in LeBron James’ second stint with the team. It has lost 11 of the past 15 games and is legitimately one of the two worst defensive teams in the Association.
This has led to speculation that the Cavaliers might fire head coach Tyronn Lue. It has also created somewhat of a rift between players in the locker room.
Either way we spin it, James’ contract year is not going too swimmingly for the best player in the galaxy.
Now comes this report from ESPN’s Brian Windhorst noting that James is upset the Cavaliers were unable to land both Paul George and Eric Bledsoe in separate trades over the past several months.
“If you want to know what’s really pissing LeBron off, he felt like the Cavs could have had Paul George and Eric Bledsoe,” Windhorst said on ESPN’s The Lowe Post show.
Cleveland was linked to George this past summer before Indiana ultimately sent him to the Oklahoma City Thunder in a blockbuster trade. The team was also linked to Bledsoe prior to him being dealt from the Phoenix Suns to Milwaukee earlier in the season.
We also know that the Cavaliers are expected to be active prior to next month’s trade deadline. Whether that means the team will add a high-profile player remains to be seen.
James being upset with the Cavaliers’ front office is nothing new. More so than any other player in the NBA, he has his fingerprints on his team’s roster. In reality, this report makes us wonder if that is still the case. Windhorst is more connected to James than any other media member in the world. If he’s reporting something, it likely came from someone close to James, if not the King himself.
It’s a rather interesting dynamic to look at as the Cavaliers attempt to turn it around on the court and prepare for next month’s trade deadline.