Miami Heat's LeBron James sits on the bench during a timeout against the San Antonio Spurs during the second quarter in Game 5 of their NBA Finals basketball series in San Antonio, Texas, June 15, 2014.
Miami Heat's LeBron James sits on the bench during a timeout against the San Antonio Spurs during the second quarter in Game 5 of their NBA Finals basketball series in San Antonio, Texas, June 15, 2014. REUTERS

Four-time NBA MVP winner LeBron James is still owned by the Miami Heat, contrary to the report that he already announced his decision to take his talent to the West Coast, as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers.

James, who's coming off a 1-4 NBA Finals drubbing at the hands of the San Antonio Spurs, is eligible to opt out from the final year of his deal with the Heat and become a free-agent this summer. That's why it's very much understandable the rumors and speculation surrounding the best basketball player in the world.

On Tuesday, many NBA fans caught off guard and posted on social networking sites a story about James' alleged decision to join the Lakers, which are also fresh from the worst season in franchise history.

It was a fabricated story by a satirical news site - the Nerd News. Here's an excerpt of the story:

"LeBron James has decided he will take his talents to the west coast and join Kobe Bryant in Los Angeles. According to an unnamed source, the 29-year-old back-to-back world champion will opt out of his contract with the Miami Heat and join the Lakers.

Money is said to be the motivation for LeBron leaving. Though James was set to make $20,590,000 for the upcoming season, he believed that was still under the amount he is worth. James did not wish to play at a discounted rate while not having a roster capable of bringing home the Larry O'Brien trophy. "James isn't interested in reducing his salary from $20.6 next season, and $22.1 million in 2015-16 just so that team owner Micky Arison can avoid paying luxury taxes," the NY Daily News reported.

James is expected to sign with the Lakers for a deal that would exceed or match the recent deal given to Kobe Bryant. Bryant is scheduled to make $23,500,000 in the 2014-15 season and $25,000,000 in the 2015-16 season."

Lakers - An Option for James

Lakers fans maybe are disappointed to learn the news are nothing but a plain prank, but their team could be in the lottery to win the service of James this summer.

Even during the 2013-14 season, there are speculations about the Lakers gunning for James if he becomes available in the free-agency market. The Lakers have enough space on their salary cap to sign a max player, giving Kobe Bryant help in his last attempt to win an NBA championship.