If Cavaliers fans were holding out hope that LeBron could return to Cleveland one last time, that might be out the window now. 

Brian Windhorst reported this week that Cavs owner Dan Gilbert is expected to be ‘significantly’ more involved with basketball operations decisions this offseason. 

And it’s no secret how Gilbert and James feel about each other.

However, you could make a case that it doesn’t matter what Gilbert’s involvement is with the Cavaliers.

James still returned to Cleveland even after Gilbert penned a letter dismissing him in 2010. 

And it wouldn’t be a surprise if Gilbert could swallow his ego for the sake of winning. But Gilbert and James aside, there’s little motivation for this reunion. 

The Cavaliers looked abysmal in the NBA Playoffs this season as they barely escaped a first-round matchup with the Orlando Magic and had no chance against the Boston Celtics.

Donovan Mitchell could be on the way out, and that’d mean Cleveland would have to bring in James AND another star player if it wants to be a contender.

To make matters worse, Gilbert reportedly said he would not trade Mitchell to the Lakers, which further signifies the bad blood between the two is still alive and well.

A second reunion just doesn’t make much sense. Cleveland is too far away from winning. James already made good on his word and took them to the promised land. And Gilbert probably isn’t going to bend over backwards to make this happen. 

If anything, this is a sign that there are going to be some major moves made this offseason as Gilbert begins a rebuild – or at least a restructuring. 

If anything, Cleveland fans can take comfort in knowing that this reunion already happened once and resulted with an NBA Championship.

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Karen Mercedes Louda, age 81, passed away May 15, 2024, at Cleveland Clinic Main Campus in Cleveland, Ohio. She was born November 7, 1943, in Jeanette, PA, to parents Jerome and Genevieve Scanlon (both deceased). She was married to Henry Louda Jr.(deceased) and they settled in Mentor, OH. Karen spent most of her storied teaching career with the Willoughby-Eastlake School District. Karen lived life to the fullest, making friends along the way on her many world-wide travels while keeping those at home close to her heart. She is survived by sister Janis Scanlon, sister-in-law Irene Louda, many nieces and nephews, along with those fortunate enough to call her friend. As per Karen’s wishes, there will be no services. Donations to a charity of your choice in Karen’s memory would be appreciated.

In a season where just three Cleveland Cavaliers played 70+ games, Jarrett Allen stepped up in a big way, especially with his presence on the defensive end of the floor.

The NBA All-Defensive Team is reserved for the most consistently effective defenders in the league. And with the recent switch to positionless voting, it makes being voted as a member of this group that much more exclusive.

On Monday, NBA Communications announced that Allen received 20 total points in the 2023-24 All-Defensive Team voting process. The 2022 NBA All-Star garnered one first-place vote (worth two points) and another 18 votes for second place (worth one point apiece).

However, these 20 points were not enough for Allen to make any of the 2023-24 NBA All-Defensive Teams. Four centers made the First Team in Rudy Gobert (Minnesota Timberwolves), Victor Wembanyama (San Antonio Spurs), Bam Adebayo (Miami Heat), and Anthony Davis (Los Angeles Lakers).

Overall, the Cleveland big man finished 14th in voting, behind Luguentz Dort (34 points) and Chet Holmgren (21 points) of the Oklahoma City Thunder, as well as Kawhi Leonard (29 points) of the Los Angeles Clippers on the NBA’s de facto Honorable Mention list.

Just some of Allen’s defensive presence could be felt in the Cavaliers’ first two playoff games against the Orlando Magic before he eventually suffered a rib injury that made him miss the remainder of the team’s playoff run. The big man played a significant role in this span, recording a combined 26 defensive rebounds, four steals, and three blocks.

Allen averaged 1.1 blocks and 0.7 steals per game during the regular season, reaching these marks for the third consecutive campaign.