LABron James Discussion: The Final Year?

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WHAT TEAM WILL LEBRON JAMES PLAY FOR IN THE 2018-19 NBA SEASON?

Stephen Campbell | Sat, Jun 9 2018, 9:05am

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Another NBA season has come and gone, and with it, the Golden State Warriors have beaten LeBron James' Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals for the third time in four years. With James set to become an unrestricted free agent in the offseason, there is a good chance he's played his last game in a Cavs uniform.

THE LOS ANGELES LAKERS ARE THE +200 FAVORITES TO SIGN LEBRON JAMES IN THE OFFSEASON.

With the loss, James' record in the Finals is now 3-6. You certainly can't fault him for the Warriors sweeping the Cavs, however, as James single-handedly carried his team to the championship round in what was one of the most impressive postseasons of his illustrious career. A lack of secondary scoring by his teammates, poor defense and an all-time mental blunder at the end of Game 1 by J.R. Smith didn't help matters. Simply put, James did everything he could to beat the Warriors and it still wasn't nearly good enough.

According to The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor, James is only willing to listen to free-agent pitches by the Cavaliers, Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers and Philadelphia 76ers in the offseason. It’s expected that James will opt out of his current deal and seek a full max contract that will be worth $35 million-plus per season.

WHERE WILL LEBRON GO?
With James’ future more uncertain than ever, BetOnline has released odds on where the King will end up for the 2018-19 season after he becomes an unrestricted free agent. The Lakers are the +200 favorites, with the Rockets (+220), 76ers (+350), Cavaliers (+350), Boston C Bags (+1000), San Antonio Spurs (+1200), Golden State Warriors (+2000), Los Angeles Clippers (+2000) and Miami Heat (+3300) listed as the next likeliest candidates.

Since May 29, the 76ers’ odds of signing King James have slipped from +150 to +350. The Cavs, who were +175 in late May, are now +350. Despite losing to the Warriors in the Western Conference final, the Rockets’ chances have improved from +250 to the current price of +220.

When James came back to Cleveland in 2014 after winning a couple of championships in Miami with his buddies Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, it was initially perceived as the final landing spot for the future Hall of Famer. But nothing is ever set in stone in the NBA, so another divorce between the small forward and the wine and gold could very much be in the cards.

What do you think? Is LeBron going to be back with his hometown team, or will he take his talents elsewhere? Have your say in the comments.

To read more on the betting odds for which team will win the 2018-19 NBA Championship, click here.

 

And more. Follow the money.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/alexka...on-and-2019-nba-finals-champion/#4eb833497199



Alex Kay Contributor
Jun 9, 2018, 12:41pm 1,213 views #GameDay
ESPN, LeBron had this to say following Game 4:

The one thing that I've always done is considered, obviously, my family. Understanding especially where my boys are at this point in their age. They were a lot younger the last time I made a decision like this four years ago. I've got a teenage boy, a preteen and a little girl that wasn't around as well. So sitting down and considering everything, my family is a huge part of whatever I'll decide to do in my career, and it will continue to be that. So I don't have an answer for you right now as far as that.





This non-committal answer will only further fuel rumors that a breakup with Cleveland is imminent, especially after James had one of the best individual postseason runs in history and still came up well short in the Finals. The 15-year veteran stated that he still has “so much to give to the game” and believes he will remain in “championship mode” for the foreseeable future, which may lead him to an organization in better position to usurp the Warriors as the NBA’s top dog.

Oddsmakers believe that will be the case, opening James as a 30-1 longshot to remain with the Cavs next season. There are six other clubs ahead of Cleveland on the list of potential landing spots that BetDSI Sportsbook released when it became clear that LeBron was on his way to losing for the sixth time in nine trips to the NBA Finals. Here’s a full look at the odds table:

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LeBron’s Next Team Odds
Los Angeles Lakers +200
Philadelphia 76ers +350
Miami Heat +500
New York Knicks +750
Houston Rockets +1000
San Antonio Spurs +2000
Cleveland Cavaliers +3000
Golden State Warriors +5000
Boston C Bags +5000
Chicago Bulls +7500
Oklahoma City Thunder +7500
Washington Wizards +10000
Field (Any Other) +1000
The Lakers are widely considered the top suitors for James’ services, having the cap space to bring the superstar aboard, plus sign another top-tier player like Paul George and still retain their young, homegrown talent such as emerging forward Julius Randle. It’s a situation that executives Magic Johnson and Rob Pelinka have set their organization up wonderfully for and their foresight could pay dividends when free agency begins at the beginning of July. It’s no secret that the Lakers, one of the league’s premier franchises, will be making a strong push to overhaul the roster this offseason, which is why BetDSI released a couple of prop bets regarding their other suspected top target and a star currently in LA for fans to wager on. Here’s a look at those:

Will Paul George be on Los Angeles Lakers roster October 1, 2018?

Yes -750

No +400

Will Isaiah Thomas be on Los Angeles Lakers roster October 1, 2019?

Yes +1200

No -2000

Colin Cowherd loves LeBron landing in LA:

Los Angeles has received a large bump to its 2019 title chances thanks to James’ potential presence in the lineup. The Lakers are 20-1 to win it all next year, behind only the Warriors, Rockets, 76ers and C Bags, which is notable as the latter three are also considered viable free agency destinations for LeBron. Scott Cooley, consultant for BetDSI, pointed out that, “the Lakers and Heat have surprisingly low prices, but the oddsmakers are taking into account the possibility of LeBron James signing with one of those teams.” Here are the BetDSI odds for every team to raise a banner following the 2019 NBA Finals:

2019 NBA Finals Odds

Team Odds
Golden State Warriors +100
Houston Rockets +350
Philadelphia 76ers +500
Boston C Bags +700
Los Angeles Lakers +2000
Miami Heat +2300
San Antonio Spurs +2500
Cleveland Cavaliers +3000
Toronto Raptors +3000
Oklahoma City Thunder +4500
New York Knicks +5000
Utah Jazz +6000
New Orleans Pelicans +7500
Minnesota Timberwolves +7500
Portland Trail Blazers +8000
Indiana Pacers +8000
Denver Nuggets +10000
Milwaukee Bucks +10000
Washington Wizards +10000
Los Angeles Clippers +10000
Phoenix Suns +20000
Charlotte Hornets +30000
Detroit Pistons +30000
Brooklyn Nets +30000
Sacramento Kings +30000
Chicago Bulls +30000
Dallas Mavericks +30000
Memphis Grizzlies +50000
Orlando Magic +50000
Atlanta Hawks +100000
Bill Squire thinks that a renewal of the Lakers vs. C Bags rivalry, widely thought to be the greatest in NBA history, with LeBron taking on former teammate Kyrie Irving in the Finals would make the league beaucoup bucks:

Handicapper Jon Price of SportsInformationTraders.com believes that the Lakers are the favorite to pull off a LeBron signing for for good reason. He pointed out that the team is well positioned, at least financially, to entice James and another star like George to sign in Southern California. That will bring a slew of veterans willing to sign cheap in order to chase a ring while also getting to play in one of the most desirable locations and biggest markets that the league has to offer. At 2-1 odds, there is currently no better bet on the board right now than the Lakers. It is worth noting, however, that Price doesn't think the Lakers would be able to dethrone Golden State without the Warriors losing one of key pieces, such as Klay Thompson, in free agency. As long as the back-to-back defending champs retain their core, they are the smart pick to threepeat at +100 odds.

With a few weeks before anything can become official, you can be sure these odds will ebb and flow along with the many leaks and rumors that will surround James. There are a wide number of legitimate scenarios in play, making this one of the most anticipated and exciting free agency periods the NBA has seen since LeBron last became available four years ago. Expect the unexpected and don’t be surprised if James makes a huge splash that shakes up the power structure in the league with his signature this July.