LeBron James Next Team Odds & Prediction for 2024-25 Season: Lakers Favorites as Suns Rumors Swirl

With the NBA's all-time scoring leader yet to commit to a return with the Los Angeles Lakers, we're looking at the LeBron James next team odds from our best NBA betting sites.

Over the last 20 years, nobody in the NBA has been better at exercising leverage than LeBron James. And his pending free agency is already one of the biggest stories ahead of the 2024 offseason.

The Los Angeles Lakers star contemplated retirement during the 2023 offseason before returning for a sixth season in L.A. - one that ended at the hands of the Denver Nuggets for the second consecutive year. Even as he led his team to the first NBA In-Season Tournament title, it was an underwhelming campaign for The King and his teammates on the court.

James posted impressive numbers in the postseason (27.8 PPG, 8.8 AGP, 6.8 RPG), showing that the 20-time All-Star can still be a key piece for a team with legitimate NBA championship odds as he enters his age-40 season. But which team will that be in 2024-25?

Here's a look at the latest LeBron James next team odds and the free agency rumors surrounding the Lakers superstar. Odds available only via our best Ontario sports betting sites.

LeBron James next team odds

(Odds as of May 28)

LeBron James free agency rumors

Shortly after the Lakers were eliminated in the 2024 NBA playoffs, rumors swirled about whether James would exercise his $51.4 million player option for 2024-25 - and where he might go if he doesn't.

The Lakers star was quick to downplay the early chatter, saying he's "only thinking about spending time with my family & friends" as his key free-agency decision looms:

James' upcoming decision comes as Los Angeles searches for its next head coach after firing Darvin Ham after the team's first-round exit. JJ Redick, a former NBA swingman who co-hosts a podcast with James, has been floated as a favorite in the Lakers next coach odds, though the process has been drawn out and relatively leak-free.

Then, during a TNT alt-cast of the Western Conference Finals, agent Rich Paul plainly said that his client "is a free agent" - sparking a whole new round of social media rumors that James would indeed decline his player option and become an unrestricted free agent.

Further fueling all of this speculation is the upcoming NBA draft and the possibility of James teaming up with his son, Bronny James, which has long been a stated goal for the four-time champion.

The Lakers are currently the favorites to draft James by the NBA draft odds, while casual bettors are targeting James to go first overall in the June 26 rookie draft. That won't happen, but based on his scheduled workouts, it appears that Bronny James could be a primary target for two teams: the Lakers and the Phoenix Suns.

Favorites to be LeBron James' next team

Los Angeles Lakers

The Lakers are the runaway favorite to retain LeBron for next season, and rightfully so. The odds from DraftKings imply a 81.82% probability he'll be back in the purple and gold, according to our betting calculators, while the FanDuel odds represent a 78.72% probability.

After 17 seasons split between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat, James has been in Los Angeles for six seasons and will turn 40 later this year. Is he really going to spend his twilight years with a new squad?

It's doubtful LeBron would leave L.A., even if the Lakers have struggled to win consistently since taking the NBA Finals in 2020 in the bubble. If James is going to return, though, he'll want the promise of actually being able to contend for a title. That's where things could get sticky for the Lakers. 

Los Angeles hasn't finished higher than the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference since that title-winning run in 2019-20. While the Lakers managed to reach the Western Conference Finals in 2022-23, they were clearly outmatched, and the Nuggets promptly swept them.

Many questions loom. Which coach can compel James to run it back for a seventh season in Tinseltown? And how much better can the Lakers get this offseason? Would they be willing to make a major free-agent splash or trade for an All-Star? 

Best odds:

Cleveland Cavaliers

It's impossible to rule out a return to Cleveland, if only because we've already seen James make that exact move once before in his career. And he's long teased anothr reunion in the twilight of his career.

If he was really serious about a third stint in his home state, he'd either have to settle for a steep reduction in pay - which seems unlikely - or the Cavaliers would have to break up their core of All-Stars and young hopefuls. Given that Donovan Mitchell's future is already in question, that might not be as far-fetched as it may seem.

That said, the Cavaliers looked listless in each of the last two postseasons, and James is likely to want to maximize his chances of adding one (or two) more rings before he hangs it up. Still, when it comes to James and the team that drafted him, never say never.

Best odds: 

Philadelphia 76ers

Philadelphia has long been in pursuit of another superstar to pair with Joel Embiid while the former MVP is still in his prime. And it's hard to imagine a better fit than James with the Sixers' current core.

With Embiid down low and budding star Tyrese Maxey at point guard, James could fit seamlessly along the wing - where he's been most comfortable for much of his career - without the need to carry the scoring load each and every night. The 76ers also have enough cap space to offer a max to James, which would circumvent the need to work with the Lakers on a sign-and-trade.

Daryl Morey has tried to sign James in the past, and while all signs point to Paul George as the current target, it's still early. Given that Philly is among the favorites at FanDuel, these long odds at DraftKings represent a major bargain ahead of free agency.

Best odds: 

Phoenix Suns

The Suns are in a bit of a bind after trading every asset that wasn't nailed to the floorboards to build around a core of Devin Booker, Kevin Durant, and Bradley Beal.

That group flamed out in the first round of the 2024 NBA playoffs, and Phoenix lacks the draft capital to make a major swing for another star. It does own its first-round pick this summer, though, and the team is rumored to be interested in drafting Bronny James - perhaps as a way to lure his father to the desert.

There are a lot of logistical hurdles to clear before that plan takes shape, but that could be a backdoor way to convince the elder James to take a reduced salary to join his son. At such long odds, it's not the worst bet to make.

Best odds: 

LeBron James next team prediction

Los Angeles Lakers (-370)

Regardless of the Lakers' offseason moves, James is highly unlikely to reunite with the aging Heat or the dysfunctional Cavaliers, especially given his noted issues with owner Dan Gilbert. And it's hard to picture James wanting to play for Tom Thibodeau in The Big Apple.

Looking beyond those three, are the Golden State Warriors even in a better position than the Lakers? The Atlanta Hawks certainly aren't, and the harsh winters in Philadelphia and Chicago don't seem like something anyone would trade the beach for - let alone a 40-year-old father who has laid down his roots in the City of Angels. Drinking wine in the sun sounds a whole lot more appealing during the winter than bundling up for 26-degree weather.

On a more serious note, it already sounds like Anthony Davis is invested in bringing LeBron back. While Davis does get a player early termination option, he's voiced his commitment to keeping James in L.A. as the pair prepare for the 2024 Men's Olympic Basketball odds this summer. With Davis on board, the Olympics may work as a way to recruit others to push their way to Los Angeles (Kevin Durant?) rather than an opportunity for James to be swayed.

The other interesting factor is the Bronny James of it all. The Lakers are the favorites to select James' son, with +250 odds implying a 28.57% probability the team selects the former USC Trojans guard. What's the harm in the Lakers taking a swing on him to appease their star? 

LeBron James team history

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