According to agent Rich Paul and ESPN’s Chris Broussard, Miami Heat All-Star LeBron James will opt out of his final two seasons in Miami and become an unrestricted free agent.

Broussard reports that this doesn't mean that LeBron is leaving Miami, but he will explore his options further before making a final decision. Broussard believes the Heat are the favorite to land James for the longterm, but included the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Dallas Mavericks.

The ripple effect of James’ decision is elected to rock the entire free agency period including his Miami Heat teammates. Even with the possibility of James leaving, Chris Bosh is expected to opt-in with the Heat and Dwyane Wade is expected to take a much longer deal with a smaller annual salary so the team can recruit other players in the event LeBron leaves.

According to Broussard, James and Carmelo Anthony are expected to speak about their futures at some point, but he couldn't think of a place where the two would be able to come together while getting the money they would seek. This is just the beginning of James’ second decision that will officially kick off on July 1 as the NBA free agency period begins.

[ESPN]

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