Report: LeBron “Won’t Hesitate” To Leave Cavs If It’s Right Business Move

After an eight game winning streak silenced critics following a 5-7 start to the 2014-15 season, the Cavs have now gone just 5-5 in their last 10, including Sunday’s 103-80 shellacking at the hands of the woeful Pistons. The scrutiny has increased again, and coach David Blatt is on the hot seat. But in a recent report from the Chris Haynes of the Northeast Ohio Media Group, it sounds like the unthinkable — LeBron James leaving the Cavs AGAIN — isn’t totally out of the question.

Here’s Haynes:

James has not and will not, throughout the course of the season, go to management seeking Blatt’s removal, a league source said. That level of authority is not in his job description.

“Listen man, I don’t pay no bills around here. I play,” James said following Monday’s practice.

If you’re waiting for a ringing endorsement from James on behalf of Blatt, it’s not happening. It’s much too soon.

“He’s our coach, I mean, what other coach do we have?” James said.

There is immense pressure to keep The King happy.

Here’s the part that will have most Cavs fans freaking out:

James, who turns 30 today, has no intention of compromising his prime years playing for a sputtering organization. He can opt out of his contract at the end of the season and become a free agent.

Given the massive scrutiny he would endure if he departed Cleveland a second time, if his hand is forced, I’m told he won’t hesitate to make the appropriate business decision if it means bolting.

Kyrie Irving — who has missed time with a bruised left knee recently — stood by Blatt in more pointed language than LeBron:

“I’ll do anything for coach Blatt,” Irving said. “I know players feel the same thing.”

But if Blatt isn’t the scapegoat, perhaps it’ll be Kevin Love, who many feel has floundered in his role with a title contender. Grantland’s Zach Lowe seems to think Love is the next on the scapegoat flow chart:

Just be warned: Kevin Love is almost surely next on the Cavs scapegoat flow chart. The rumblings are coming.

— Zach Lowe (@ZachLowe_NBA) December 29, 2014

Personally, after watching a bunch of the Cavs this year because of their three-headed monster, it’s defense that’s holding them back, and nothing more. They don’t have a rim protector — a discernible weakness even before their disappointing start to the season — and that weakness will get more glaring with Anderson Varejao gone for the season.

LeBron has to be blamed for some of this even though he’s seventh in player efficiency rating and second in points per game. While James is eighth in offensive real adjusted plus/minus (RAPM) — basically a more accurate look at on/off numbers that accounts for the other nine players on the court — at 3.93, he ranks at No. 125 in defensive RAPM (0.49). That’s dreadful for the specious best player in the world, a man who has shown he can be dominant on both sides of the ball.

But it’s not just on LeBron. Kevin Love has to figure out Cleveland’s rotations better, and start to protect the rim. Love can’t use his limited athleticism as an excuse to watch layups happen.

The whole Cavs team needs to remember that even with the best player in the world, and three sure-fire All-Stars, they still need to defend and play hard to compete in the NBA. If they don’t, LeBron might be gone.