Getty Miami Heat star LeBron James celebrates after defeating the San Antonio Spurs in Game 7 of the 2013 NBA Finals.
Recent losses aside, it’s an incredible time to be a Miami Heat fan. In spite of injuries and COVID-19, the team is currently just a half-game out of first place in the East and prepping for a title run. And it was just a year and four months ago that Miami pushed LeBron James and the eventual-champion Lakers to six games in the NBA Finals.
As good as things have been in recent years, though, the high-water mark for the franchise continues to be James’ run in South Beach alongside Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. Of course, four Finals appearances and two titles in four years is more than any fan base outside of the Bay Area has enjoyed over the last decade-plus.
Still, the yearning for more is always there and the Butler-Adebayo iteration of the Heat is closer to a championship now than the club has been since the glory days of the 2010s.
Unfortunately, Wade and Bosh aren’t walking through that door to help get the team over the hump. However, there’s at least a small chance that LeBron could be once his current deal with the Lakers expires in 2023, or perhaps even sooner.
Sheridan Addresses the Odds For LeBron’s Potential Heat Return
As noted by longtime hoops scribe Chris Sheridan, via Maxim, the current futures odds for LeBron’s next team — in the event that he leaves Los Angeles — paint an intriguing picture.
To the surprise of no one, James’ hometown (we know… he’s actually from Akron) Cavaliers tops the list as a +300 bet. However, the Heat are a close second in the odds rankings at +400. Meanwhile, the Mavericks and Wizards were deadlocked in third at +500.
According to Sheridan, Miami has a lot going for it where the pursuit of the King and a potential reunion is concerned:
James still has a strong relationship with Pat Riley, Erik Spoelstra and other members of the Miami Heat organization, and he could do a lot worse than joining forces with Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo and Sixth Man of the Year lock, Tyler Herro.
LeBron’s homecoming could happen in a couple of different ways, too:
Miami is capped out for the next two seasons, so James would either have to be acquired in a trade (highly unlikely) or sign as a free agent for the veteran’s minimum (he could afford a reduced paycheck).
At the very least, It’s something for Heat fans to dream think about.
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The Mavs Option
While the Mavericks may be attractive to James due to Luka Doncic of it all, Sheridan noted that there are considerations beyond his playing career that could pull him toward the Bid D:
Dallas also is intriguing because James is already looking at his post-playing career options, and no NBA owner is better equipped to facilitate just about anything James would want — including a political option — than Mark Cuban. Dallas currently has cap space for 2023-24, but the Mavs are also in win-now mode and could take on a player with a long contract between now and then.
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