Lakers could bring LeBron James back under one condition

For months, it has seemed that LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers are heading for divorce.

Ironically, the 41-year-old veteran has had to put the team on his shoulders in the final stretch of the season, as Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves are out with injuries.

That might be just enough to change both parties' minds ahead of free agency, as he clearly still performs at a high level.

Nevertheless, if James wants to stay in Southern California, he's going to have to make some concessions, according to Dan Woike and Sam Amick of The Athletic. 

LeBron James has to be patient to return to the Lakers

"According to two high-ranking team sources, the prospect of James returning is still in play from the organization’s point of view," the report read. "But that scenario would require patience from James, as the Lakers have approximately $50 million in salary cap room and plan on prioritizing roster balance above all else as they continue to build around Doncic."

Simply put, the Lakers haven't shut the door on James' return, but he's not at the top of their priority list anymore.

First, they must figure out how to keep Reaves in town, since he's likely to decline his player option and test the open market for a very lucrative deal.

That said, the Lakers may not face that much competition for James' services, anyway.

He's been tied to the Los Angeles Clippers, Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers. And while all of those teams make sense to a degree, he'd essentially have to take a significant pay cut to make the numbers work.

Granted, money shouldn't be an issue for someone who's earned nearly $600 million in NBA salary alone. Then again, not many people would leave $20+ million on the table to join another team in what might be their final season.