LeBron James will consider joining Cavaliers if they're contenders in 2015, according to report

Could LeBron James head back to Cleveland to play for the Cavaliers when he becomes a free agent? According to a report from Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal, that could be the case after the 2014-15 season.

James has a relationship with Cavs players Kyrie Irving and Tristan Thompson, and LeBron's agent Rich Paul also represents Thompson. James still has a lot of ties to the area, and returning to Cleveland would put him near his hometown of Akron.

A team with James and Irving would immediately catapult Cleveland to the top of the Eastern Conference, but there is one big stumbling block before James would consider signing with Cleveland. The Cavaliers need to compete for a playoff spot, and right now they are nowhere near accomplishing that. The Cavs are in full rebuild mode after James left for Miami, and at 6-23 are among the worst teams in the league.

It would be a great story if James did return to Cleveland, but it looks unlikely at the moment.

This story originally appeared on SBNation.com.