National Basketball Association

Barkley: LeBron should return to Cleveland

Published May. 22, 2014 4:56 p.m. ET

Connor Kiesel

Winning the NBA Draft Lottery earned the Cavaliers the No. 1 pick, a chance at one of college basketball's top-flight stars and a fresh round of speculation surrounding the topic that just never seems to go away -- LeBron James.

In an interview on ESPN Radio, TNT NBA analyst Charles Barkley commented with his thoughts on what James, who has an early termination clause in his contract with the Miami Heat, should do next.

"I've always thought he was going to go back to Cleveland," Barkley said. "Nobody dislikes LeBron. I think LeBron made a huge mistake with that 'Decision' crap. He's come back and since admitted that. That's the only thing people hold against LeBron.

"He's a great player, a great person. I hope he goes back to Cleveland. Those fans in Miami are not real fans, those fans in Cleveland are real fans. I've always hoped he would go back to Cleveland. That would be a great way to finish his career."

The Cavs' roster is full of young talent with potential after adding numerous lottery picks to the fold in recent years. If Cleveland keeps the top pick this year, they'll have their choice of Andrew Wiggins, Jabari Parker and Joel Embiid, among others, in what experts are calling one of the deepest and most talented draft classes in years.

Rumors are also circulating that Cleveland would be a logical destination for the Timberwolves' Kevin Love, with the Cavs holding a plethora of assets that could be used in a trade.

James, whom the Cavs selected with the No. 1 overall pick in 2003, skirted the subject when asked Thursday, saying Cleveland and Miami both have great fans.