Rashad McCants says Cavs will ‘never’ see success again without LeBron

Former NBA guard Rashad McCants recently shared a harsh take on the Cleveland Cavaliers, claiming that they will “never” see success again unless franchise icon LeBron James returns to the team.

“It’s Cleveland, man,” McCants said when asked if the 2025-26 Cavs had a successful season. “It’s Cleveland. Cleveland will never see success again, unless LeBron come back. LeBron is success for Cleveland, in all sports.”

James left Cleveland following the 2017-18 season to join the Los Angeles Lakers, and he’s been in L.A. ever since. The star forward is an unrestricted free agent this offseason, which means he could sign with another team if he decides to play a 24th season in the league.

After beginning his career with the Cavs, James left the franchise for four seasons to play with the Miami Heat, going to four NBA Finals alongside Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. The 22-time All-Star won two titles in Miami, but he returned to Cleveland ahead of the 2014-15 season.

James then took the Cavs to four straight NBA Finals, winning the title in 2016 in one of the most remarkable comebacks in NBA history. Cleveland erased a 3-1 series deficit against a Golden State Warriors team that won 73 games during the regular season. James was named Finals MVP, solidifying his legacy in Cleveland in the process.

Since James left for Los Angeles, the Cavs have built a new core around Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley. While Cleveland has not made it back to the NBA Finals, it did make the Eastern Conference Finals in the 2025-26 season for the first time since James was with the franchise.

Unfortunately, Cleveland failed to win a single game against the New York Knicks with a trip to the NBA Finals at stake, and it’s possible the team looks for ways to upgrade the roster in the offseason.

While James could return to his hometown team, the Cavs would likely need to make a move to get him. Cleveland can’t offer the veteran a major deal as of now, which poses a problem.

The four-time champion is still an elite player at this stage in his career, as he averaged 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 7.2 assists per game while shooting 51.5 percent from the field and 31.7 percent from 3 during the 2025-26 regular season.

James then led the Lakers to a first-round series win over the Houston Rockets in the playoffs and ended up averaging 23.2 points, 6.7 rebounds and 7.3 assists per contest across 10 playoff games.

The Cavs may explore the possibility of bringing James back, but they ultimately need to find a way to win without the NBA’s all-time leading scorer since he’s nearing the end of his career. James, 41, has already played 23 seasons in the NBA.