Report: LeBron's camp denies rumor that 2017-18 will be his final season in Cleveland

A report that James would once again be leaving Cleveland made the rounds on Wednesday

By Colin Ward-Henninger

Aug 16, 2017 at 7:29 pm ET • 1 min read

A report from Chris Sheridan made its way across Twitter on Wednesday that quoted a source as saying that LeBron James would be leaving the Cleveland Cavaliers at the end of the 2017-18 season due to irreconcilable differences with ownership.

NBA source said today: "This will be LeBron's final season in Cleveland. He is 100 percent leaving. Relationship with owners beyond repair."
— Chris Sheridan (@sheridanhoops) August 16, 2017

That quote predictably created quite a series of reactions, but Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com quickly reported that sources close to James vehemently denied the report.

For what it's worth (damn it, I'm on vacation), three sources close to LeBron said this latest tweet about him is 100 percent false
— Joe Vardon (@joevardon) August 16, 2017

I have more: three sources paid particular attention to LeBron's relationship with ownership, and said LeBron does not view it that way
— Joe Vardon (@joevardon) August 16, 2017

And finally, one of the sources close to LeBron said there is no NBA source who could speak on his behalf in the way it was reported
— Joe Vardon (@joevardon) August 16, 2017

After the 2017-18 season, James can opt out of the final year of his current contract and become an unrestricted free agent.

With Kyrie Irving requesting a trade, the Cavaliers are facing quite a dilemma. If they decide to deal their 25-year-old star point guard, what they get in return will likely influence LeBron's eventual decision one way or another.

Cleveland has made it to three consecutive NBA Finals, winning one title, but they were clearly outmatched by the Warriors in June. The Cavs have been built in "win-now" mode since LeBron rejoined the team back in 2014, which has led to an aging roster with little financial flexibility to build for the future.

Depending on how next season plays out, LeBron could end up in a different uniform 12 months from now. But according to Vardon's report, he hasn't made any decisions yet.