Breaking news! The Lakers are demanding a significant pay cut from LeBron James! The Cleveland Cavaliers hope to have James join them.

NBA reporter Adrian Wojnarowski said on the "Get Up" podcast:“The Lakers are anticipated to request a major salary cut from LeBron James this offseason.”

This season marks the last year of James' existing contract with the Lakers, with a salary of $52.62 million, and no early renewal agreement has been reached. Setting aside whether James will continue playing in the NBA next season, if he does, there are only two possibilities: staying with the Lakers or joining another team.

A significant pay cut would help the Lakers gain salary cap flexibility, making it easier to acquire new players and maintain championship competitiveness. But honestly, the Lakers don't even need to push this; James' sole purpose in staying in the NBA now is to win a championship. After becoming a free agent this summer, James could easily take a pay cut to return to the Cleveland Cavaliers, starting and ending his career where it began.

At the same time,reporter Wojnarowski believes James might eventually retire as a Cavalier.

Yesterday, James played his 25th career game against the Cavaliers, regardless of home or away. During his Heat tenure, he was 12-1 versus Cleveland, and since joining the Lakers, 7-5, totaling 19-6 overall.

Before this game, James had a 9-3 record visiting Cleveland as the away team, with a lowest scoring game of 21 points. Yesterday, he played 27 minutes, shooting 3 of 10, scoring 11 points with 3 rebounds and 5 assists, possibly showing signs of fatigue from consecutive away games.

Before the game yesterday, James was moved to tears watching a tribute video to him played at the Cavaliers’ home court. His son Bronny said afterward he wasn't surprised and admitted he nearly lost control emotionally as well. This moment was not just James returning home, but also Bronny, as the "Son of Akron," returning to his roots.

Chris Fedor, a Cavaliers reporter for the Cleveland Plain Dealer, reported that since James left Cleveland for the Lakers in 2018, every time he returns, the Cavaliers play a tribute video for him. In past years, James would acknowledge the crowd and show love with heart gestures. But this time was different — James actually cried, showing a deeper emotional impact.

James has not explicitly stated that this season will be his last, and although theoretically the Cavaliers and Lakers could meet in the Finals, yesterday’s game clearly seemed like the Lakers’ only visit to Cleveland this season, leading many to speculate that it might be James’ farewell game in his Cavaliers home arena.

After the game, James addressed retirement questions, saying he hasn't thought about ending his career yet, as he hasn’t had formal discussions with his family about retirement. He admitted that any plans will be decided in the future.

James has not made a decision about his future. He said, “If you had asked me eight years ago when I first went to Los Angeles whether I’d still be playing in 2026, I probably would have said no. I just want to cherish every moment and not take anything for granted, not knowing if this will be my last game here. I haven’t made any decisions yet, but it’s very possible.”

James is currently in his eighth season with the Lakers, the longest he has ever stayed with one team in his career. Previously, according to ESPN Lakers reporter Dave McMenamin, multiple team and league sources revealed,if James wants to return to the Cavaliers this summer to start his 24th NBA season and his third stint with Cleveland, the Cavaliers would warmly welcome him back.

After the final buzzer yesterday, James did not bid farewell to the packed Cavaliers crowd but simply shook hands with fans courtside and quickly left the arena.

This might be sending a message that he will return here for a proper farewell, perhaps in a different form. Will it be as a Cavalier? His next destination—who can say?