Cavaliers could steal LeBron James and another player the Lakers really want, per report

2 hours ago 1

The Cleveland Cavaliers have shown a lot of interest in improving on both sides of the basketball this offseason. The biggest focus, of course, has been centered around what the Cavaliers want to do with LeBron James. There's absolutely no doubt that Cleveland wants him back with the organization, though James has the final say, and decisions will have to be made on his end.

However, if Cleveland doesn't end up landing James, there's a very good chance we could see it make some other moves.

According to the latest, there's even a possibility the Cavaliers could move on from guys like Max Strus in a deal involving Jonathan Kuminga.

“While the Cavaliers have sought to trade wing Max Strus this summer, they have not moved forward with a deal, indicating that they could keep Strus if LeBron James does not go to Cleveland. The Cavs had hoped to deal Strus (and Dennis Schroder) into cap space, but there is not much of that remaining–they may have to attach a draft pick to make it happen,” Sean Deveney wrote.

“Strus could also be used in a Jonathan Kuminga sign-and-trade deal with the Hawks, if the Cavs lose out on James.”

Kuminga obviously isn't the same caliber of player as James, even if he's much younger and a nice player in his own right.

However, James is still one of the best basketball players in the world, and Kuminga has many questions he needs to answer himself. Regardless, I don't think this is a bad idea, and I could even see it working out if the Cavaliers don't land James. He'd be a nice young player to have, and there's always some upside to doing just that.