LeBron James said the door is “not closed” on a potential return to the Cleveland Cavaliers and that his last season in the league “will be played with my son” in an interview with The Athletic ahead of Sunday’s All-Star game.
James, who is back in Cleveland for his 18th appearance in the All-Star game, is currently on the first year of a two-year, $85 million contract he signed in the middle of last season. He won’t be a free agent until the 2023-24 season, which would be his 21st in the NBA.
“The door’s not closed on that,” James told The Athletic on Saturday when asked about a potential return to Cleveland. “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.”
James, who is from Akron, Ohio, played his first seven season with the Cavaliers before departing for the Miami Heat and then returning to Cleveland for another four years.
He told The Athletic he’s not interested in taking a discount after his current contract is up, but left the door open for a possible exception.
“My last year will be played with my son,” James said. “Wherever Bronny is at, that’s where I’ll be. I would do whatever it takes to play with my son for one year. It’s not about the money at that point.”
Bronny James, a 6-3 point guard playing high school basketball at Sierra Canyon School in Los Angeles, is ranked as the 43rd prospect in the ESPN 60 for the 2023 class.
He would be eligible to be drafted in 2024, when LeBron James will be 39.