Daryl Ruiter: LeBron Was Never Coming Home

Lima and Daryl Ruiter admit the "whiteboard" LeBron speculation was largely theater, joking that Rich Paul essentially controlled NBA business for four weeks by keeping the league on hold. They argue LeBron was likely never coming back to Cleveland, framing his decision to sign with Philadelphia as him chasing the "hero" narrative since Miami, Golden State, and New York were all off the table for that storyline. Ruiter also defends Kenny Atkinson's Darius Garland-for-James Harden trade against criticism, insisting it made the roster better regardless of the LeBron outcome. They tease Lima's plan to boo LeBron on his Cleveland return and set up calls from fans still processing the news.