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Even though he’s been with the Los Angeles Lakers\u00a0<\/a>for much longer, most people still associate LeBron James\u00a0<\/a>with the Miami Heat.<\/a><\/p>\n He was at his physical prime in South Beach, and he was finally able to win his first NBA<\/a> ring under Erik Spoelstra’s tutelage, not to mention kick-start the “Big Three” era. Things reportedly didn’t end well between him and the organization, propelling a return to the Cleveland Cavaliers<\/a>. Now, another homecoming of sorts might be in the cards.<\/p>\n In a recent appearance on “The Herd,” Lakers insider Jovan Buha revealed that James could return to Miami if the Lakers don’t give him the big-money deal he’s looking for.<\/p>\n \u201cIf the Lakers decide, \u2018Hey, we\u2019re gonna go pursue these RFAs or make a trade for somebody and now only have X amount of money left over for you,\u2019 I could see that being offensive to LeBron and him being like, \u2018Alright, well if you\u2019re gonna pay me $15 million, I\u2019ll just go get that from Miami,’\u201d Buha said<\/a>. \u201cIf the negotiations sour, and [the two sides] decide it\u2019s not the right fit, I think Miami would be one of the top suitors.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n James and his camp reportedly want a max contract<\/a> from the Lakers, though no such offer \u2014 or any offer \u2014 has been made yet<\/a>. He would reportedly accept a pay cut if that meant the Lakers could put that money to good use and build a contender, but they would have to lay out a plan for him to be on board.<\/p>\n The Lakers can simply decide they don’t want to deal with James’ influence at this point in his career and pivot toward the younger Luka Doncic. If that’s the case, James, who has never hesitated to burn bridges with the front office, could simply decide to move back to the Eastern Conference and team up with Bam Adebayo and Giannis Antetokounmpo, says Buha.<\/p>\n Buha is a well-connected Lakers insider who has covered the team closely during the James era, so his words should carry weight here. That said, James reportedly didn’t end on good terms with Pat Riley or coach Spoelstra. As much as they could all bury the hatchet for the greater good, that would certainly be a bit of a shocker.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\nLeBron James could return to the Heat<\/h2>\n
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