LeBron James is taking his sweet time deciding where he goes next. No one has a pulse on who he is leaning towards, but his ex-teammates are already voicing where they think he should go. Markieff Morris has already let his thoughts be known on what James should have done.
Markieff Morris Believes Cavaliers Should Move James Harden Before to Sign LeBron James
Morris, who played with James on the Los Angeles Lakers during their title run during the 2019-20 season, believes Cleveland should move James Harden to Phoenix for Jalen Green, then sign James.
He put his plan pretty simply via his X account, writing, “Harden to Phx! Jalen green to Cleveland. Bron to Cleveland!”
Harden to Phx! Jalen green to Cleveland. Bron to Cleveland!
— Keef Morris (@Keefmorris) July 22, 2026
Harden opted out of his two-year, $81.5 million contract with the Cavaliers while awaiting to see what happens with James this summer. Green is about to enter the second year of a three-year, $105.3 million contract. Harden opting out allows the Cavaliers to sign-and-trade him if they want, but Harden has to agree to it as well.
Harden may be willing to take a pay cut for James, but whether he would do the same for Phoenix is another story. The Suns are trying to be as good as possible and are coming off a resilient season. However, Green is younger, and Harden doesn’t raise a team’s ceiling quite as much as he used to.
Also, Green is a ball-dominant player who isn’t nearly as much of a playmaker as Harden and James are. The Suns made it work with him last season, but it’s clear that he isn’t on the same level as Harden or James yet. Sometimes, talented but flawed players simply need the right coach more than anything else to become valuable.
Harden turned into a superstar when he went from Oklahoma City to Houston, but at the same time, he really vaulted himself into an all-time great when he played under Mike D’Antoni’s tutelage.
Anyway, James will play a slightly lesser role than what he’s accustomed to, no matter where he goes. It’s possible that he may be more comfortable playing with players who can get him the ball, like Harden, than someone who is likely to reduce his touches, like Green.
But, if Cleveland believes that Green fits better and/or that a move like this is exactly what convinces James to do Round 3 with the Cavaliers, then all the power to them! It’s a little unorthodox, but sometimes, that’s what it takes to build the best team possible.
There have certainly been some rather interesting ideas about who James’ next team might be, but this would intrigue pretty much everyone if the Cavaliers and Suns agreed to it. It also goes without saying that the Cavaliers would do this if James tells them to.
