Would LeBron James leave the Cleveland Cavaliers for a second time?

Well, it's a possibility. An ESPN story, which breaks down how the Cavs traded Kyrie Irving to the Boston Celtics last year, has team and NBA sources confirming that King James wouldn't commit to the Cavs past this 2017-18 season.

According to the ESPN report, Irving and his agent, Jeff Wechsler, pressed Cavs owner Dan Gilbert about James' future with the team during a meeting last July. Gilbert reportedly asked Irving for his trade destination choices and Boston wasn't one of those cities. However, when the Celtics presented themselves as a trade partner for Irving, Gilbert reportedly tried to get a commitment from James to remain with the Cavs past the 2017-18 season. However, James reportedly wouldn't commit to that.

That means, the three-time NBA champion, as he has said all along, will decide on his future after this season, when he becomes an unrestricted free agent.

Last September, James told a pool of reporters that his plan to close out his career in Cleveland hasn't changed, but that he'd only think it through at the end of this season.

"It hasn't changed," James told the media at that time, as reported by Cleveland.com. "And that's why I sit up here today, still in this uniform, still ready to lead this franchise to a championship, put us in a position where we can be successful."

He added: "Anytime I'm able to be free agent or my contract ends, I'll approach that when the summer comes. At the end of the day I have a contract and I will fill out that obligation, which I've always done."

Before the Cavs even traded Irving, rumors had sparked about the Los Angeles Lakers possibly being a landing spot for King James. In November, the Philadelphia 76ers, Houston Rockets and San Antonio Spurs were also mentioned by USA TODAY Sports as possible suitors for the four-time league MVP.

Having turned 33 on Saturday, James is averaging 27.7 points, 9.2 assists and 8.1 rebounds per game for the Cavs (25-12) this season. LeBron and his Cavs will visit Irving and the Celtics tonight in Boston, although Isaiah Thomas won't suit up against his old team.

At the end of this season, do you think LeBron will decide to remain with the Cavs or leave The Land yet again? If it's the latter, where do you think James will wind up?

BET Sports News — Get the latest news and information about African-Americans in sports, including weekly recaps, celebrity news and photos of your favorite Black athletes.