Falling leaves return to their roots! NBA reunion guess: James returns to the Cavaliers/Heat Durant reconciles with the Thunder

NBA free agent market makes us feel like we are backing our time, and a few signings have brought us some nostalgia. Damian Lillard will return to the Portland Trail Blazers after being bought out by the Milwaukee Bucks and using the extension clause, while Chris Paul will return to the Los Angeles Clippers next season. Lillard will recover in the 2025-26 season because of a torn Achilles tendon in the playoffs and will not play, so we will not be able to see him wear the Trail Blazers jersey until the 2026-27 season. And when that moment happens, you can bet that the fans in Moda Center will shock the entire venue with their gratitude to Lillard. The same is true for Paul, who joined the Clippers, which was once a laughing stock in the league. But with his talent, Paul turned this team into a powerful team that should be taken seriously. Now Paul will not only reunite with the Clippers, he will also reunite with former teammate James Harden and partner with Kawhi Leonard, Bradley Bill and Brooke Lopez. Entering next season, the Clippers will undoubtedly become a strong contender for the championship.

As this offseason brings us two major reunions, it makes people wonder what other players we also want to see reunited with their former club. Let's take a look at four of the most compelling reunions we can think of.

LeBron James returns to his hometown of Cleveland

This has happened once, so why not do it again? When LeBron returned to Cleveland in 2014, it was a reunion that repaired many cracks. Remember those who burned his jersey after the “decision” — when he announced he would bring his talent back to Cleveland again, they were likely going out to buy new jerseys.

James' first time with the Cavaliers was a period of growing up and showing early signs of international superstars, and that return was like watching a superhero return through time and space, bringing back all the knowledge he learned about the future. James brought their first championship to the Cavaliers — and the city of Cleveland — to rekindle the enthusiasm of fans and reversing from a 1-3-delayed dilemma against the mighty Golden State Warriors, dedicating perhaps the most exciting NBA Finals performance we have ever seen.

The third time playing time will bring a perfect end to James' career. With James approaching retirement, can you imagine a more perfect ending than ending his career where his career began? If that really happened, there would almost certainly be a movie about it to be made. And most importantly, James will return to a Cavaliers who are ready to go further in the playoffs. Although James will turn 41 in December, he can be the puzzle missing to help Cleveland take the next level and win another championship. And if this is James' last season, nothing is more fairy tale ending than winning a championship with the Cavaliers to end his NBA career. Another return destination for LeBron may be the Miami Heat, and honestly, the fit there is very high from a basketball standpoint. They have made two NBA Finals since James left the Heat in 2014, plus six playoff trips. And in these playoff journeys, they all clearly lacked the "that person" in the lineup. Jimmy Butler has done his best in those finals trips, but he can't take the Heat across the finish line by himself, and in fact, he lost to James in one of the finals.

James returns to Miami to join forces with Bam Adebayo and Taylor Herro to form a deadly trio, and the combination is likely to go a long way in the playoffs. Maybe James hopes to end his career where he first learned how to become a champion. In all reports of LeBron’s disappointment in the direction of the Lakers and their strategy to turn around Luca Doncic’s team building, the Heat were not mentioned as a potential next home when he could be traded or requested a deal, but that doesn’t mean there is no possibility. Financially speaking, getting LeBron through a trade would be a logistical nightmare for the Heat or any team, but if he is bought out, that's another matter.

Hiro will be in a slight rush to play around James, as James will attract a lot of attention on the offensive end, which will allow Hero to return to a more natural off-ball threat role. Adebayo and James' pick-and-roll will be a nightmare for opponents, and James' aerial relay for Crael Wealth will definitely go viral on social media. James' return to the Heat may not have as much emotional value as his reunion with the Cavaliers, but it will undoubtedly be a very interesting return.

Kevin Durant's reconciliation with the Thunder

LeBron's departure from Cleveland undoubtedly sets a benchmark for fans' reactions, but I think the extremely unfriendly response from fans after leaving Oklahoma City in 2016 shows hostility we have never seen before. Durant led the Thunder to the Western Conference Finals, reversed 1-3 by the Warriors, and then joined the opponent just a month after losing to them, which was undoubtedly a hard-to-eat bitter fruit for Thunder fans, and they did not forget that when Durant returned to Oklahoma City for the first time the following year. Boos, posters, insults, and even friction with former teammate Russell Westbrook on the court make people feel that the conflict between Durant and the Thunder can no longer be eased.

But almost 10 years have passed now. The Thunder finally topped the top last season and won their first championship, so you have to assume that all the anger against Durant had disappeared. Durant recently expressed a positive view of the Thunder, congratulating them on winning the championship and praising them as “an absolutely well-crafted perfect team.”

These kind words do not mean that Durant will return to the Thunder, but imagine what would happen if it did. Simply partnering Durant with Shea Gilgers Alexander will be the dream of mid-range shooting enthusiasts. Assuming Durant's return was done through a trade, it would likely mean that Chet Homgren and/or Jaylen Williams would leave. But a core of Alexander and Durant, coupled with the large number of draft picks that the Thunder still had after giving up some draft picks in order to get Durant even in this completely assumption, would be enough for them to get more players to build a team around them. This will also heal some old injuries on both sides, and it will be a perfect moment considering Durant is approaching the end of his career. Theoretically, the most perfect moment should be Durant's return to Seattle, but given the remarks of President Adam Xiao Hua that the alliance will not expand its troops in the short term, this plan will not be realized.

The Trail Blazers are already immersed in the nostalgic atmosphere, so why not let the team reunite? Bring CJ McCollum back to the Trail Blazers. The 33-year-old guard can still hit long-range shots and averaged more than 20 points per game in the bad New Orleans Pelicans last season, then was traded to the Washington Wizards, who are in the lottery zone all year round. McCollum’s reunion with the Trail Blazers was, on the one hand, for the wonderful feeling of the reunion, and on the other hand, it was also because it felt like a punishment to keep him in a Wizards with little sign of building a winning culture.

's reunion with Lillard will also be a very cool moment, as the pair has been the Trail Blazers' faces for nearly a decade. They have led the team into the playoffs all year round and reached the Western Conference Finals once. And unlike the other reunions on this list, this reunion is not intended to repair the cracks, as the Trail Blazers trade McCollum because they never made it to the Finals after years of attempts and whether it would be helpful to try to pair different players around Lillard. But that didn't work, so maybe the Trail Blazers can welcome back McCollum now as another feeling of good moment in the offseason.

From a basketball perspective, the fit of this combination is not very high, because the Trail Blazers' backcourt is already overcrowded, including Scudt Henderson, Shetton Sharp, Ju Holiday and Lillard after the return. But if McCollum is willing to accept a role like that, he could be a deadly sixth man choice. But considering that McCollum can still be a positive factor in a championship team, returning to the Trail Blazers for a heartwarming reunion and a slim chance to win the championship is not reasonable for him. However, this is still a good idea.

Author: Jasmyn Wimbish

Translator: GWayNe