The Fourth of July has come and gone, and LeBron James is still an unrestricted free agent without a commitment to sign with any team.
After announcing that he would not be returning to the Lakers for a ninth season and would instead continue his NBA career somewhere other than LA, speculation almost instantly began circulating that James would align with another franchise prior to the league’s free agency moratorium being lifted on July 6.
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Among the teams James has been most linked to are the Golden State Warriors, Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat, San Antonio Spurs and Philadelphia 76ers.
Two teams in particular: the Cavaliers and Heat, stand out from the others for the same reason. LeBron has previously played for each franchise (and in the case of Cleveland, twice) and has won titles with each team – two with Miami and one with Cleveland.
After adding superstar forward Giannis Antetokounmpo via trade earlier this summer, a Miami return for James would seem even more appealing.
Polymarket, however, doesn’t currently see the Heat as being much of a threat to land James for a second time. Bettors are trading the Heat at 8.8%, trailing Golden State, who is trading at 18.4% and the Cavaliers, who are the overwhelming favorite at 57.9%.
Cleveland is of course James’ hometown team. They drafted LeBron and he’s had two prior stints with the team, including a 2016 season in which he and the Cavs won the team’s only NBA championship. As a Cavalier, James won the league’s Rookie of the Year award and was named league MVP. The Cavs also roster a handful of past and present All-Stars including Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen, James Harden (who is a free agent but expected to resign) and Donovan Mitchell.
Golden State, which is James’ second most-likely landing spot according to Polymarket bettors, would provide James with an opportunity to play with fellow future Hall of Famers – and good friends – Steph Curry and Draymond Green. He’d also be able to stay within California, just hours from where he and his family reside.
With the league allowing free agent signings on Monday, July 6, at 12:01 p.m. ET, expect news of James’ next destination to heat up, just not with Miami.
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