The LeBron James free agency saga is on its way.

As the future Hall of Famer’s contract with the Los Angeles Lakers expires at the end of the year, several contending teams could look into the idea of acquiring the superstar for one season.

The reality is this: LeBron is likely to return to the Lakers to continue that era and close it out with the rest of his career, or he might head home for a third stint with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

NBA Insider Makes a Strong LeBron Prediction

ESPN’s Brian Windhorst seems confident that the Cavaliers will attempt to lure LeBron back to Ohio. Ending his historical career where it all started would be the perfect conclusion for the top scorer in the game.

Windhorst would go as far as predicting there is a 99 percent chance LeBron returns to the Cavs for the 2026-2027 NBA season, but that’s based on one condition.

“He would only come at a discount,” Windhorst said, pointing out that the Cavs will be on a tight budget.

“The only way the Cavs could add him would be to get him to play at either the minimum, or maybe they could do some things to shave some salary, to open up the taxpayer mid-level exception where, you know, it’s like six or seven million from the Cavs’ perspective. It’s simple. Basically, they say to LeBron, if you would like to play with us, we’d love to have you. This is what we have to offer. That’s all we can offer. We can offer you that. And being in Cleveland, if he’s able and willing to accept that money, I think it’s 99 percent.”

LeBron James doesn’t have any concrete answers about his future. While many assume that he’ll play another year, and the basketball world will know it’s his last dance, the Lakers’ forward hasn’t ruled out retirement.

Statistically, LeBron is still producing at an All-Star level. In 36 games, he posted averages of 22.0 points, 7.1 assists, and 5.8 rebounds.

Posting similar production on a significantly low salary might not be appealing enough for James to reroute back to Cleveland for his age-42 season. But there’s too much smoke to dismiss it at this point. Right now, the focus is on the Lakers. In the summer, the Cavaliers might have a real shot at bringing their most prominent player in franchise history home.

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