Lakers expected to retain star despite trade speculation
LeBron James certainly looks like he’s open to leaving the Lakers, but the betting odds don’t think that’s likely.
DraftKings Sportsbook, with which James has a lucrative marketing deal, is posting odds on which team he will be playing for come October, and Los Angeles is overwhelmingly expected to be his destination.
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James is -700 to be a Laker to start this season, with implied odds reflecting an 87.50 percent chance he remains in Hollywood next season alongside co-star Luka Doncic.
Perhaps not surprisingly, the Cleveland Cavaliers are +600 (14.29 percent chance implied) to land their franchise’s best player, who spent 11 seasons with the team, including a championship in 2016.
The next most likely destination for King James is the Mavericks (+800, 11.11 percent implied) where he could reunite with Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving, two of his closest friends, alongside budding superstar Cooper Flagg.
LeBron James next team odds
| Next team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Lakers | -700 |
| Cavaliers | +600 |
| Mavericks | +800 |
| Warriors | 16/1 |
| Suns | 18/1 |
| Bucks | 20/1 |
| Knicks | 25/1 |
| Clippers | 40/1 |
| Rockets | 45/1 |
| Magic | 60/1 |
The Golden State Warriors, who previously checked on James during the trade deadline two seasons ago, are third at 16/1.
Perhaps the most interesting potential option, although unlikely, is James coming to the Knicks and attempting to bring a championship to Madison Square Garden for the first time since 1972.
DraftKings views this as an extreme long shot, coming in at 25/1 (3.85 percent chance implied) and that viewpoint is echoed by The Post’s Stefan Bondy, who reportedly checked in on that possibility last week and was stonewalled.
“No. Makes for good chatter but no,” Bondy said in a post on X.
Betting on the NBA?
James’ agent, Rich Paul told ESPN that he wants to compete for a title and realizes that his massive contract opt-in handicaps the Lakers’ ability to field a championship roster.
He will now make $52.6 million for this season and is among the highest-paid players in the NBA at the age of 40.
Why Trust New York Post Betting
Erich Richter is a brazilian jiu-jitsu blue belt but he has a black belt in MMA betting. During the football season he’s showcased massive profits at The Post in the player prop market the last two seasons. While constantly betting long shots, his return on investment is 30.15 percent since 2022.
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