Photo: Peter Baba

LeBron James’ decision to join the Philadelphia 76ers reportedly came after his camp evaluated several potential destinations, and one of the more surprising revelations involved the Cleveland Cavaliers’ roster construction.

According to Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson, there was “widespread surprise” within James’ inner circle that Donovan Mitchell remained on Cleveland’s roster during the 2026 offseason. The report suggests some people close to James believed the Cavaliers were better positioned to pursue another championship if they had reshaped their backcourt differently.

The Cavaliers seriously pursued a reunion with James before he ultimately signed a one-year veteran’s minimum contract with Philadelphia. Cleveland, however, had already undergone a major roster change by trading Darius Garland to the Los Angeles Clippers in exchange for James Harden earlier during the offseason, a move that altered the team’s long-term outlook.

Rich Paul, James’ longtime agent and CEO of Klutch Sports, previously acknowledged that Garland’s departure complicated the basketball fit for a potential return.

“The negative is, and this is no offense to Harden, no Garland, because he loves Garland like he loves Tyrese Maxey,” Paul said on his podcast, while later clarifying to Robinson that he has no personal issue with Harden.

Robinson also cited a league source who questioned whether Mitchell is best suited as the primary star on a championship contender.

“Donovan Mitchell is not a number one,” the source told Robinson. “He’s a number one in Cleveland, he was a number one in Utah. If the Cavs still had Garland in Cleveland and moved Donovan in a trade to Jaylen Brown, there’s a good chance that LeBron James would be in Cleveland today next to Garland, Jaylen Brown and Evan Mobley.”

That scenario never materialized. Instead, the Cavaliers doubled down on Mitchell by signing him to a four-year, $273 million maximum extension, reaffirming him as the franchise centerpiece alongside Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen.

Philadelphia ultimately presented the roster James believed gave him the strongest opportunity to compete for another championship entering his record-setting 24th NBA season.

The 76ers aggressively reshaped their roster this summer, acquiring Jaylen Brown from the Boston Celtics and later signing James after his departure from the Los Angeles Lakers. The club also added Dean Wade, Anfernee Simons, Ariel Hukporti, Caleb Love and Rayan Rupert while moving on from Paul George, Kelly Oubre Jr., Quentin Grimes and Andre Drummond.

According to Robinson, James’ camp viewed Philadelphia’s combination of Brown, Tyrese Maxey and a healthy Joel Embiid as the league’s most attractive championship core. Robinson also reported that Embiid personally addressed concerns about his durability during a private meeting with James after completing his first surgery-free offseason.

Robinson further reported that James intentionally signed for the veteran’s minimum not because of a lack of market value, but to eliminate salary-cap limitations from the recruiting process. Rich Paul told Robinson that once James’ contract with the Lakers expired and contenders no longer had meaningful cap space, the veteran’s minimum became the realistic contract mechanism for every serious suitor.

While Cleveland remained in the conversation until the end of James’ free agency, Robinson’s reporting indicates the Cavaliers’ roster composition—particularly the presence of Mitchell following Garland’s departure—ultimately made Philadelphia the more appealing basketball fit.