June 30 Update: Shams Charania reported that LeBron James has informed the Lakers he will be moving on.
LeBron James truly is one-of-one.
While a student at St. Vincent-St. Mary, James was literally a man amongst boys, making a mockery of the high school basketball landscape. ESPN televised his games. Sports Illustrated dubbed him “The Chosen One.” Gatorade National Player of the Year. He went from a McDonald’s All-American to the No. 1 pick in the 2003 NBA Draft.
The hype transcended reality. Yet, somehow, James did not disappoint in the NBA.
He’s a former Rookie of the Year. A four-time MVP. A four-time NBA champion. A 22-time All-Star. He is the all-time scoring leader in NBA history with 43,440 points — and counting. He is fourth in assists, sixth in steals and first in minutes played.
James is only the 35th player in NBA history to play at age 40. Last season, at 41, he averaged 20.9 points, 7.2 assists, and 6.1 rebounds in 33.2 minutes per game. Not only can he still play — he’s balling at a high level. And he may not be done just yet. The only question is where.
James is an unrestricted free agent, and he may depart the Los Angeles Lakers as the squad looks to build around superstar Luka Doncic.
Here are the odds on DraftKings Sportsbook for where James will play his first minute next season:
There’s been recent speculation that James and Anthony Davis could join Golden State to team up with Stephen Curry and Draymond Green.
Green opted out of his contract on Monday, which offers some cap flexibility. Unfortunately, the Warriors re-signed Kristaps Porzingis for two years and $40 million, which means Golden State can no longer use the $15.1 million mid-level exception. Then there’s the whole Davis matter. He’s not an unrestricted free agent, so a trade would be needed. Do the Washington Wizards want Jimmy Butler, who would be needed to match salaries, and do the Warriors have enough draft assets?
Currently, the Warriors are the favorite at -115, so the market seems to think so. In addition, all three of Green, James, and Davis are represented by Rich Paul and Klutch Sports.
The Lakers sit at +105, the second-lowest odds to retain James. This seems unlikely, since the Lakers are building around Doncic, while James has reportedly felt underappreciated. If the Lakers and James wanted to continue their relationship, it could’ve been resolved a while ago. In addition, these are the last few years of James’s NBA career, so he will want to position himself for another title as best he can. The Lakers are currently at +3000 to win it all, the ninth-lowest odds.
Golden State is at +4000, tied for the 10th-lowest odds, but that number would dramatically shrink if both James and Davis join the Warriors.
Which brings me to Miami at +1000 odds to lure LeBron back to South Beach. The Heat are currently +1800 to win it all next season after the Giannis Antetokounmpo acquisition, the fifth-lowest odds. James will have to take a pay cut wherever he goes. Owner Pat Riley is a big-game hunter who has already pushed his chips into the middle. James obviously has history with the Heat, playing four seasons from 2010 to 2013 and delivering two championships.
If Klutch Sports cannot move the chess pieces and bring the King to Golden State, Miami seems the likeliest place where James takes his talents for what will likely be the last time.
