RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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See the full story · 1 sourcesAccording to a recent report from Brandon "Scoop B" Robinson, the Boston Celtics could have been part of the deal to get LeBron James back to the Cleveland Cavaliers this offseason, rather than James signing with the Philadelphia 76ers as he did this weekend.
According to Robinson, one of the primary concerns of James and his team in free agency was a team's backcourt. There seem to be widespread questions about Donovan Mitchell, and if Mitchell had been traded to Boston for Jaylen Brown, then James would have been more interested in a Cleveland reunion.
Of course, the Celtics traded Brown to the 76ers, which opened things up for James to sign there on a two-year pact.
Another part of the issue involving Cleveland? That the Cavs traded Darius Garland to the Los Angeles Clippers in February for James Harden.
Frankly, that's a lot of "if's" so it's really hard to follow. First, there's no guarantee that the Cavaliers get to the Eastern Conference Finals if they have Garland and not Harden, and there's no guarantee that they would have traded Mitchell for Brown, and then no guarantee that James would have actually signed there, but it's a fun game to play.
Oh boy... https://t.co/vse4KAQs5M pic.twitter.com/5FTFHFNxZC
— Nick Wilson (@NickWilsonSays) July 27, 2026 It's also fun to wonder what life would be like for the Celtics if they had Mitchell in their backcourt. Mitchell, Payton Pritchard and Derrick White would have been a dynamic backcourt, but it also would have left the Celtics quite small and searching for help on the wings and in the front court.
With Brown gone, the C's will utilize Jayson Tatum, Paul George and Jordan Walsh. They also went out and signed big man Mitchell Robinson from the New York Knicks. Robinson helped New York win a championship this past season.
Also in the news for the Celtics
For better or worse, after moving on from Brown this month, the Celtics will have a new look in 2026-27. And with that new look will come a new set of opportunities.
There will be more chances for Payton Pritchard to take ownership of the offense, more chances for younger players like Jordan Walsh to establish themselves , and yes, more chances for Jayson Tatum to show that he's the alpha leader on this team.
While we've all anointed Tatum as the face of the franchise over the last three or four years, he's never had the chance to be the solo leader of the group. He will now.
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