Barely two weeks after the trade deadline, LeBon James’ exit remains the talk of the town. His free agent status for next season has put a lot of teams on notice, especially the franchise where he began his career. The idea of a potential return to the Cleveland Cavaliers has surfaced again.

Last season, LeBron’s saga of opting into his contract was a stretched one. Even when he signed, the celebration from the front office was second to none. Now in the off-season, they would again have to think about signing King James.

“As one NBA source said, James would probably most like to retire with the Lakers, but he is not going to be the third or fourth choice in free agency. It’s not like if they get turned down by Peyton Watson in free agency, they can fall back on LeBron,” the source said. “He’ll already be gone.”

These reports come after ESPN’s Tim MacMahon’s statement, where apparently LeBron James is heading out of the Lakers for a farewell tour with his original team– the Cleveland Cavaliers. “I know what the rampant speculation is around the league, and that is this summer there’s going to be a reunion and potentially a retirement tour for the ages back home again with the Cleveland Cavaliers next year,” he said on NBA Today.

Earlier this season, we already saw James getting emotional with his return to the Cavs. His mother was in the stands, which made the moment even more heartwarming. James, of course, spent his initial years in Cleveland before returning to the city to spend four more seasons. The Akron-born legend brought the Cavaliers the franchise’s first NBA title in 2016.

Now, with LeBron entering free agency this summer and the Lakers shifting focus to a Luka Doncic-led organization, that possible reunion is gaining momentum.

LeBron James’ burden of decision gets $75 million aid

His close to $50 million in salary will be difficult for any team to take in. It would require cutting the roster significantly. But what if LeBron signed a vet minimum contract? However, the question would emerge is why would a billionaire LeBron James accept a sizeable pay cut? This might ease the decision to join the team he wants to play for.

“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,” Cleveland radio host Anthony Lima wrote on X. “Was told $40-75 million. So yes, he could play for vet minimum next year on a title contender and still get compensation for his value.”

A camera crew has been following James closely this season, but it doesn’t seem like this will be the end of the line for him. James could simply sign for the veteran’s minimum while still cashing in on a massive check for a documentary covering his final season. The return to the Cavs can get more emotional if LeBron James decides that it will be final season in the league.

So far, King James has not decided on retiring, and has yet to pick his team for next year.