Getty The LeBron James free agency sweepstakes has begun.
As the LeBron James free agency sweepstakes kick off, Vegas has the Los Angeles Lakers as the betting favorites to sign James. According to OddsShark, the Lakers are favored with -155 odds to sign James this summer. The Cavs are next in line with +200 odds, while the Sixers are a distant third at +550. Vegas is also offering fans a bet of the Lakers or the field. The Lakers have 50 to 1 odds to land James, while the field (the other 29 NBA teams) has 15 to 1 odds to sign James.
For Lakers fans, free agency got off to a solid start. ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne reported James’ plane landed in Los Angeles on the eve of free agency.
Some have pointed out James and his family typically spend the off-season in Los Angeles as James has two houses in the area. This bodes well for the Lakers, but plenty of players have off-season homes in locations where they do not play. The Lakers did receive some bad news as Paul George announced his intentions to re-sign with the Thunder.
The NBA free agency landscape seems to shift every hour, but as of now the Lakers appear to want to pair James with a free agent big men like Clint Capela or DeMarcus Cousins. Those looking for a bargain play in the odds may consider the Sixers. According to The Inquirer, James’ representatives met with the Sixers in Los Angeles. The Sixers can offer James arguably the most competitive roster of teams considered to be among the favorites to land James. The Inquirer’s Keith Pompey described the nature of the meeting.
A team contingent led by co-managing owners Josh Harris and Davis Blitzer is scheduled to meet with the free agent’s representative today in Los Angeles, sources confirm. ESPN was first to report the news…
Sources have said that this is not an obligatory meeting with James’ representatives. The free agent is really interested in playing for the Sixers, according to the source. The forward would welcome playing alongside all-star center Joel Embiid and point guard Ben Simmons, the rookie of the year. He’s also impressed with coach Brett Brown and the Sixers’ state-of-the-art facility. And by coming to Philly, James believes he would have a great chance to play in his ninth consecutive NBA Finals.
Sources says the Sixers are not out of James’ free agency hunt. Now, things could change if the Los Angeles Lakers are able to trade for San Antonio Spurs two-time all-star forward Kawhi Leonard.
Under that scenario, James would probably like to play alongside Leonard. However, sources have said the Sixers are still in the hunt for trading for Leonard, as well.
Kawhi Leonard’s situation in San Antonio has emerged as an interesting subplot involving James as teams like the Lakers and Sixers have been involved in trade rumors centering around Leonard. If a team is able to pry Leonard away from the Spurs, it is likely to also help their chances of landing James.
Here’s a look at the latest LeBron odds, courtesy of OddsShark, covering the full list of teams.
LeBron James Free Agency Odds: Where Will He Go?
| TEAM | ODDS |
| Los Angeles Lakers | -155 |
| Cleveland Cavaliers | +200 |
| Philadelphia 76ers | +550 |
| Boston Celtics | +900 |
| Houston Rockets | +950 |
| San Antonio Spurs | +2800 |
| New York Knicks | +3000 |
| Los Angeles Clippers | +4000 |
| Miami Heat | +4000 |
