LeBron James says the door hasn’t been closed on returning to the Cavaliers, but he intends to play the final season with his son Bronny

LeBron Jamesexcept for something very surprising, he will be a member of Los Angeles Lakers Until the end of next season. His current contract expires after 2022-23 but then? Nothing is guaranteed, and if the Lakers haven’t significantly improved their roster by then, James will have plenty of reason to consider alternatives. One common theory? Back to his original team.

The Cleveland Cavaliers go up with Darius GarlandAnd the Garrett Allen And the Evan Mobley, and when James became a free agent in 2023, they are currently positioned as having maximum cover space. Could James take one last ride with the Cleveland team? “The door didn’t shut on that,” James said. Jason Lloyd of The Athletic Saturday after all-star team training. “I’m not saying I’m coming back and playing, I don’t know. I don’t know what my future holds. I don’t even know when I’m free.”

If James chooses to explore the free agency in 2023, Cleveland would be the obvious destination. He is familiar with the organization. The Cavaliers could pay him a fair market value, and it would give him a chance to compete for a championship. However, James appears more inclined to change teams in 2024. That’s when his son, Bronny, is removed for one year from high school and, based on current NBA rules, is eligible to enter the NBA draft. In the same interview, James confirmed that he plans to play his last season in his son’s team.

“My last year will be playing with my son,” James said. “Wherever Bronny is, that’s where I’ll be. I’ll do whatever it takes to play with my son for one year. It’s not about the money at this point.”

James has changed teams in free agency three times, and while he has met multiple teams at various points, the entire league has not given any indication that he is considering playing with them. With the news that he’s committed to playing with his son, all 30 of the NBA teams can now truly feel as if they have a chance to get one of the greatest players of all time at a discount.

Of course, there is still time for things to change. The NBA could change his solo stat and get James Jr. into the draft earlier. He may also want to spend several seasons in college, delaying his father’s retirement round. All we can say for now is this: We have a clearer picture of what the end of LeBron’s career will look like now than ever before.