"It’s basketball malpractice if they don’t aggressively pursue LeBron James" - Chris Mannix asserts that it should be a no-brainer for the Cavs to trade for LeBron James if the opportunity arises

LeBron James opened a virtual Pandora’s Box when he told Jason Lloyd of The Athletic that he’s not ruling out a return to the Cleveland Cavaliers. The interview caused a sensation heading into the All-Star Game in Cleveland as the headline-grabbing move will alter the title aspirations of at least two NBA teams.

Since then, the LA Lakers superstar has clarified that he sees himself in purple and gold for the foreseeable future. His contract with the Tinseltown squad runs through the 2022-23 season.

With that being said, James’ openness to moving from Hollywood to the Cavaliers has both excited and worried basketball analysts and fans.

Sports Illustrated senior writer Chris Mannix is adamant that the Cleveland Cavaliers should be all in should the window open for a LeBron James trade:

“I love to see them try to package Collin Sexton, draft capital, Lauri Markkanen, whatever it is to try to extract LeBron from LA. But if it’s next season or after that, they better aggressively pursue LeBron James. To me, it’s basketball malpractice if they don’t aggressively pursue LeBron James.”

The Cleveland Cavaliers' surprising performances this season will give them plenty of room for errors. It won’t be the case next season as the Eastern Conference continues to be stacked.

The Milwaukee Bucks, Brooklyn Nets, and Philadelphia 76ers are likely to remain elite and will continue to be tough challenges for the Cavaliers.

Chris Mannix had this to say should the Cavs even consider snubbing the "Chosen One" if he is available:

“They are crazy, unequivocally crazy.”

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Will the Cleveland Cavaliers really go for LeBron James in the off-season?

LeBron James does not have a player option in his contract with the LA Lakers next season [Photo: Bleacher Report]

Crazier things have happened in basketball. Who would have thought that two of the most high-profile and disgruntled players would eventually swap places before the trade deadline? The LA Lakers, though, would have to be a little out of their minds to move on from their franchise player, considering his MVP-level play.

However, if a trade is possible, team owner Dan Gilbert and GM Koby Altman would be, as Mannix would say, “committing malpractice” if they don’t chase James.

With the way he’s still playing, there’s not going to be a huge dropoff from the 18x All-Star next season. An argument could be made that “King James” would still be the best player on most NBA rosters, including the Cleveland Cavaliers.

There are still roughly 20 more games to go for every team in the league this season. How the struggling LA Lakers end their campaign and how the Cleveland Cavaliers will finish through their surprising run could change the dynamics of the offseason.