LeBron James will forever be a Cleveland Cavaliers legend no matter what happens the rest of his career, but his time playing for Ohio's NBA team may not be fully in the rearview mirror.

"The door's not closed on that," James told Jason Lloyd of The Athletic when discussing 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 is under contract with the Los Angeles Lakers through the 2022-23 campaign.

Perhaps the biggest factor in James' future will be where his son, Bronny, eventually ends up if he reaches the NBA level.

The younger James would be eligible for the 2024 NBA draft if the one-and-done rule is still in place when he finishes playing at Sierra Canyon in 2023.