"Sources say the Cleveland Cavaliers, Dallas Mavericks and New York Knicks are among the teams waiting for such an end to the James-Lakers relationship," Irwin wrote. Irwin added that James had to let the Lakers know about his desire to leave right away before the new CBA's constraints prevent any of these teams from getting him.

LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers front office are reportedly at odds, and their relationship won’t improve anytime soon. The addition of Luka Dončić has caused an internal conflict with the franchise’s pivot to the 26-year-old superstar looming.

As detailed in a recent feature story by ESPN's Ramona Shelburne and Brian Windhorst, the news sent the Association into a "tizzy," with executives around the league doing their best to "decode" the message released by James's agent, Rich Paul.