LeBron James chose Philadelphia over Cleveland this summer, and Cavaliers president Koby Altman said a major trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo or Jaylen Brown would not have ensured his return. Altman said either deal would have hurt the team’s present and future.
Altman said Cleveland weighs the cost of pursuing top players against the effect on its team and future. The Cavaliers have kept their core largely intact for most of the decade; their major move for James Harden came last season, and they reached the Eastern Conference Finals, he said.
Altman declined to discuss details of his reported meeting with James earlier this summer, saying the conversation would remain internal. He praised James’s importance to the franchise and region; why James chose Philadelphia over Cleveland remains undisclosed.
