Myles Garrett reached out to LeBron James before asking Browns to trade him
LeBron James famously left the Cavaliers, his hometown team, twice in his career
Myles Garrett took his time before officially requesting a trade out of Cleveland earlier this week.
It wasn’t just his inner circle and family that he spoke to about that decision, however. Garrett said that he actually reached out to a fellow Cleveland sports star who left the city twice in his career.
He called LeBron James.
“He was not [disappointed],” Garrett said of James’ reaction to learning he was going to make a trade request, via the The Rich Eisen Show. “He had actually been reaching out to me to talk and get my side of things. He’s been a part of difficult times in his start of his career, being so frustrated with being so close to the pinnacle of his sport. He just wanted to see exactly how I was feeling, where my head was at and if I need to talk through anything and if I was ready to consider any kind of move, he was there to communicate with and to lean on.”
James was selected by the Cavaliers with the No. 1 overall pick in the draft out of high school in 2003. The Akron, Ohio, native spent the first seven seasons of his NBA career there before leaving for the Miami Heat. He then returned for a four-year run before leaving again to join the Los Angeles Lakers.
Though their careers are different, and Garrett isn’t from the Cleveland area like James is, he said he wanted to speak to James about that transition away from the only team he’s ever known.
“Just making sure I made a logical decision, taking my time, just trying to take away the pressure of doing something like that,” Garrett said of their conversation. “Cleveland, really that area, Northeast Ohio, has been his home. It feels like my home as well.”
Garrett officially requested a trade from the Browns earlier this week and said he wanted out so he can “compete for and win a Super Bowl.” The former Defensive Player of the Year has spent his entire career with the franchise, which selected him with the No. 1 overall pick in 2017. He is a finalist for that award again this season after he racked up 14 sacks and a career-high 40 tackles, too.
Garrett signed a five-year, $125 million extension with the team in 2020, which runs through the end of the 2026 campaign. Browns general manager Andrew Berry has said that he does not have plans to trade Garrett, and the team reiterated that stance after Garrett’s request Monday. Garrett, though, said he made his request after speaking with the team's front office and realizing that he didn't like the "trajectory of the team."
"I just don't think we're aligned on where the team is going in the near future," he said.
While the Browns are under no obligation to trade Garrett, he’s not trying to think about that just yet.
“It’s possible. They can do that, but that’s a little bit further down the line than I’m willing to look,” he said.
Only time will tell where Garrett ends up. At this point, he said, he’s not picky about where he lands next in his career — and he knows that decision isn’t entirely up to him.
But in his mind, making this move now is what made the most sense to him. He wants to win, and win now.
“I felt like it was time to speak on something that was near and dear to my heart,” Garrett said. “I have a lot of love for Cleveland, but it’s always, for me, been about competing for championships, winning those big games and winning Lombardis. We haven’t had the opportunity to do that, and that’s all I’m asking for.”