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The Los Angeles Lakers could face a scenario few around the league had seriously considered until now — one driven as much by nostalgia as money.
According to Anthony Lima of Cleveland’s 92.3 The Fan, media executives believe LeBron James could recoup — and potentially exceed — any lost NBA salary next season through a high-stakes bidding war for the streaming rights to a farewell-tour documentary.
“I talked to a few execs in the media world about how much LeBron could get for the rights to his farewell tour in a streaming bidding war,” Lima wrote on X. “Was told $40–75 million.”
Lima added that the appeal goes well beyond raw dollars.
“Nostalgia works,” he wrote, underscoring why a LeBron James farewell season — particularly in Cleveland — would be uniquely attractive to streaming platforms and sponsors. The combination of legacy, hometown symbolism, and finality, Lima suggested, creates a commercial ceiling far higher than a standard athlete documentary.
Streaming Windfall Could Reframe LeBron’s Next Move
James is earning $52.6 million this season, a figure that would make the idea of a veteran’s minimum contract appear implausible on its face. But Lima’s reporting reframes that calculus entirely.
In addition to documentary rights, Lima pointed to one-off sponsorships, brand integrations, and global marketing partnerships that could accompany a final NBA season.
“Basically, the entire season would be brought to you by ‘LeBron James and Friends,’” Lima wrote, adding that such a model could make James the highest-earning athlete in the world for a single season.
That financial reality helps explain why a dramatic on-court pay cut — once viewed as unrealistic — is now being discussed openly across league circles.
Cleveland Fits the Narrative — and the Business Model
From a basketball standpoint, a return to the Cleveland Cavaliers has long been considered the most natural setting for a farewell chapter. From a business standpoint, Lima’s reporting suggests it may also be the most lucrative.
A Cleveland return would complete a full-circle arc for James, who delivered the franchise its only NBA championship in 2016 and remains one of the city’s most iconic figures. That narrative weight, combined with the finality of a farewell season, is precisely what media executives believe would drive a competitive streaming bidding war.
Windhorst’s Salary Math Provides Context
The basketball mechanics of such a move have already been outlined by ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, whose comments serve as background to Lima’s new reporting.
Windhorst has repeatedly said Cleveland could only add James if he were willing to take a steep discount, potentially as low as the veteran’s minimum.
“He would only come at a discount,” Windhorst said previously on ESPN Cleveland radio. “If he’s able and willing to accept that money, I think it’s 99%.”
What Lima’s report adds — and what fundamentally changes the discussion — is the idea that James could make that concession without actually losing money.
Lakers Remain an Option, With One Major Caveat
For the Lakers, the implications are significant.
According to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, Los Angeles would welcome James back for a 24th season — but only if his salary aligns with broader roster-building goals.
“If James wants to play a 24th season, he would be welcomed back in L.A.,” McMenamin reported. “But his salary would be a major factor in determining exactly what kind of team the Lakers could build.”
James has offered no clarity publicly.
“When I know, you guys will know,” James said during NBA All-Star Weekend. “I don’t know. I have no idea. I just want to live.”
Lakers governor Jeanie Buss echoed that uncertainty in a recent CNBC interview.
“He certainly hasn’t given an indication,” Buss said. “He’s earned the right to decide how his career will go.”
Alder Almo is a sports journalist covering the NBA for Heavy.com. He has more than 20 years of experience in local and international media, including broadcast, print and digital. He previously covered the Knicks for Empire Sports Media and the NBA for Off the Glass. Alder is from the Philippines and is now based in Jersey City, New Jersey. More about Alder Almo
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