Wojnarowski: Belief around NBA is LeBron's 'very much in play to leave' Cavs

The thought of LeBron James leaving Cleveland again seemed next to impossible when the four-time NBA MVP returned to his home state in 2014, but, according to the biggest name in basketball media, James' future with the Cavaliers is anything but certain.

"Not only is there no guarantee he's coming back, I'm not sure there's an expectation he's re-signing there," The Vertical's Adrian Wojnarowski revealed on his podcast Wednesday.

James, who returned to the Cavs after four years in Miami, could once again become an unrestricted free agent next summer if he declines his 2018-19 player option worth more than $35.6 million.

"I think they feel - I think within Cleveland and around the league - they feel that he's very much in play to leave again and likely head out West to one of the two L.A. teams. The Lakers could very well be a target," Wojnarowski continued.

The possibility of Miami again, based on how they, what that team looks like and where they are. Would Dwyane Wade go back there?

But I think the focus - a lot of LeBron's - his business interests, his Hollywood aspirations, his media ventures are based out there.

And I wrote this last year and said it and believed it: The minute he won that championship in Cleveland he was liberated to leave again. Now, if he had not won a title in Cleveland and then left again, I think there would be tremendous backlash again. But the fact that he came back and did what he set out to do, which was to bring a title to Cleveland.

James, an Akron, Ohio, native, has spent 10 of his 14 seasons - his first seven and last three - in Cleveland, and has advanced to seven consecutive NBA Finals with the Cavs and Heat.