Kevin Durant and LeBron James CLEVELAND, OH – JUNE 09: LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Kevin Durant #35 of the Golden State Warriors speak after a foul in the third quarter in Game 4 of the 2017 NBA Finals at Quicken Loans Arena on June 9, 2017 in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)

Kevin Durant hasn’t been shy about voicing his opinions, whether it’s to claim the Warriors won the 2017 title because of hard work instead of overall talent, or giving his thoughts on Kyrie Irving wanting to leave the Cavs. His return to Twitter has been magnificent.

On Wednesday, Durant got into a Twitter debate with rapper Lil Dicky about whether the Cavs should trade LeBron James in light of reports that James will leave the team next summer as a free agent. LeBron’s camp has denied that report, but regardless, Durant falls into the “LeBron is too legendary to trade” camp, which may just be a front for the “I don’t want LeBron in the Western Conference” camp.

Lil Dicky is a known 76ers fan — he supported Joel Embiid’s hilarious All-Star voting campaign on Twitter — so we can guess where he’d like to see LeBron land. He and Durant also have a prior relationship, as the NBA star appeared in one of the rapper’s music videos two years ago.

While James’s camp insists he may stay in Cleveland next year, it seems far more likely he’d leave. While LeBron forgave Gilbert for old transgressions, Gilbert has made some very questionable decisions this offseason, like letting go of veteran general manager David Griffin and replacing him with first-time GM Koby Altman. On top of that, star point guard Kyrie Irving has requested a trade, reportedly because he no longer wants to play second fiddle to James. While the Cavs may still be the Eastern Conference favorites, their future is full of questions.

Last time LeBron James left the Cavaliers, the franchise got nothing in return for the best player on the planet. (Lottery picks because they were garbage without James don’t count.) With James reportedly wanting out of Cleveland again as a free agent next summer, you can understand why Gilbert may want to get some assets in return this time.

But Durant is right. That would never work for the reasons he mentioned. LeBron holds all the cards as the most beloved man in Cleveland. Plus, he has a no-trade clause that he reportedly will not waive. So in the end, Durant and Lil Dicky’s argument doesn’t really matter. Even if the Cavs wanted to trade James, they’d be hard-pressed to find a deal that works.

[FTW]

About Jesse Kramer

Jesse is a writer and editor for The Comeback. He has also worked for SI.com and runs The Catch and Shoot, a college basketball website based in Chicago. He is a graduate of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University. Follow Jesse on Twitter @Jesse_Kramer.

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