The NBA Finals are now over, with the Golden State Warriors sweeping the Cleveland Cavaliers. Now, the talk turns to where Lebron James will play next season following another disappointing finish for the Cavaliers.
It was believed that the King would return to Cleveland, at least that’s what the odds were suggesting heading into the NBA playoffs, but that no longer looks to be the case. An extremely disappointing finish and the fact that there are not many reasons that would keep Lebron with the Cavs, it is more likely that he will be moving on for the 2018-19 season, so let us take a look at what the odds are suggesting.
Where will Lebron James end up? Here are the odds provided by BetDSI Sportsbook
Los Angeles Lakers (+200) – this looked to be more of a longshot a couple of months ago, but that has drastically changed. First of all, consider that Lebron owns a home in the L.A. area. It is true that he would have to deal with the antics of Lavar Ball, but there is enough talent in Los Angeles right now and the Lakers have a lot of cap room for the next season. It is believed that they will be active in the free-agency market, including attempting to lure Paul George and maybe even Chris Paul. No doubt the Lakers will be active and Lebron may be the ultimate prize.
Houston Rockets (+275) – the odds are looking a little worse for Houston, but this may be the likely destination for James. The truth is that the Rockets are just one piece away from being a championship team. They already have some huge piece in James Harden and if they can keep Chris Paul this is a team that can contend with the Golden State Warriors. Lebron nearly did that on his own.
Philadelphia 76ers (+300) – the Philadelphia 76ers could be a very interesting destination for Lebron. First of all, they are an up and comer in the Eastern Conference and with Cleveland becoming less relevant and Boston not sure exactly when Kyrie Irving will return or how he will play once he does, which puts Philadelphia in prime position. Lebron James can be a true difference maker with this team as there are a number of outstanding young players on Philadelphia, allowing James to extend his career with a need to play a reduced number of minutes.
Cleveland Cavaliers (+700) – this looks to be the likely destination for Lebron for the next season, but there truly is no real talent around the basketball superstar. Some drastic changes are going to have to happen in free agency to persuade James into deciding to stay with his hometown team. He has already won them an NBA championship, so there should be no hard feelings if he decides to move on. It will simply be a matter of whether he thinks this team can compete next season and that is hard to believe right now.
San Antonio Spurs (+1000) – San Antonio has some issues of their own, especially with question marks surrounding Kawhi Leonard. One thing that is for sure is that San Antonio has one of the best coaches in the NBA history and if they are able to make Leonard happy by bringing Lebron in, this would be a 1-2 combination that could challenge that of Golden State’s. This is a longshot, but one that could happen should the Spurs get a little more active in free agency themselves.
Golden State Warriors (+2500) – there are a lot of things to like about this choice. If James is looking for nothing more than a shot at another NBA championship, his arrival in Golden State would be a true winner. As long as he continued to play with this group they would be a lock to win the championship, and he would add to the argument that he is the best player of all time. The question just becomes whether the Warriors can make enough room for him and if he would want to play on a team where he would not the be “The” star.
It should definitely be an exciting and interesting off-season in the NBA as teams will be jockeying to try to lure Lebron James to their town. While a few Western Conference teams seem to be the ones that are garnering the most attention, look for the NBA star to stay out east. It truly is his best pathway to the finals.
