Earlier this week LeBron James announced that he will not be returning to play a ninth season for the Los Angeles Lakers. Instead, he’ll lace ‘em up for his record-setting 24th NBA season somewhere other than Hollywood.
Since James’ intentions were made clear, just about every other NBA team has been linked to wanting to sign the 41-year-old.
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Despite his age, LeBron is still an All-Star talent, averaging just a tick under 21 points a game last season to go along with more than seven assists and six rebounds. Most men in the 40+ club can’t put those types of numbers up at the local YMCA, let alone the NBA.
And that, along with his marketability, is why so many teams want to sign James as an unrestricted free agent. Add in the fact that his career includes four league championships, and you can easily see why his experience would be so valuable to any team. Especially a team that’s expected to compete for a title.
One such team is the San Antonio Spurs, who surprised many around the league with their run to the NBA Finals this past spring. Ultimately, San Antonio fell to the New York Knicks four games to one, but they have a roster built to contend for years thanks to young superstars Victor Wembanyama and Dylan Harper. What they’re lacking is a veteran who’s been to the top of the mountain. Someone that willingly passes the ball and puts teammates into the right position wouldn’t hurt either.
Someone like LeBron James.
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Though the fit between James and the Spurs seems like a match made in basketball heaven (or nightmares for fans of opposing teams), Polymarket isn’t big on the chances of LBJ heading to the Lone Star State.
As of Thursday morning, Polymarket wagers are seeing just a 1% chance of LeBron joining Wemby in San Antonio. Bettors are considerably higher on James ending up with the Cleveland Cavaliers, the team with which he won his third title in 2016, or the Golden State Warriors.
Cleveland is trading at 41% to be James’ new old home. The Warriors, whom James competed against in the NBA Finals over four straight seasons as a member of the Cavs, are trading at 35% on Polymarket. Another team familiar to James, the Miami Heat, whom James guided to the first two titles of his career, are currently third at 11%.
James’ next decision can’t be official until July 6 when the NBA’s league year officially opens. And there’s nothing stopping James from taking his time to decide his next, and likely last, NBA move. The only thing that seems somewhat certain is that he’s unlikely to be a Spur come fall.
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