The remaining months of this year's NBA season will be crucial for the future of the Cleveland Cavaliers and their superstar LeBron James.
The four-time MVP will become a free agent in the summer and the time to decide where he will commit beyond this campaign is getting closer.
Teams such as the Los Angeles Lakers and Houston Rockets are believed to be two franchises who will make a serious pitch to the three-time champion.
But according to a top Eastern Conference executive, the Lakers may have inadvertently helped the Cavs boost their chances of keeping him in Ohio.
The two teams concluded a trade prior to the deadline which sent Isaiah Thomas and Channing Frye to L.A. and Jordan Clarkson and Larry Nance Jr. to Cleveland.
That allowed the Purple and Gold to free up two max contracts on their roster to give themselves a shot at landing LeBron and potentially Paul George.
As well as Clarkson and Nance, the Cavaliers also acquired Rodney Hood and George Hill in a total revamp of their team.
In their first two games with the new additions before the All-Star break, they secured impressive road wins over the Boston Celtics and Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Cavs looked energised again and are having fun on the court as the newcomers have already made a huge difference.
This mid-season rebuild may be enough to convince LBJ to remain with his hometown team.
"I wouldn’t be surprised if he stays in Cleveland now," the high-ranking team executive told Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated.
"The Cavaliers put a really good team around him. The Cavaliers have made it really tough for him to decide to leave Cleveland again. The Lakers might have helped them keep LeBron."
The four new acquisitions add speed, length, shooting, and a defensive mindset to the Cavs which is exactly the kind of teammates James thrives off.
His only focus now is to continue to get his new players settled in and prepared to compete for a championship in June.
“We just added four news guys before the [trade deadline], and we have a lot of work to do,” James said. “So, I really don’t want to look too far ahead. But, obviously winning championships is what it is about.
"That is what the league is all about and hopefully at the end of the road then I have the Cavs there actually to compete for one, to be in the Finals representing the East.
“So, that’s my goal. Getting back. I’m looking forward to getting back with the guys. I know they’re excited, and that is going to be our mindset. But we’ll see what happens.”
Making the moves to overhaul the team put the Wine and Gold in a better position to get back to the finals but ultimately, their success this season will determine if they can keep King James.