Where Will Lebron Sign In 2018

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Odds on where LeBron plays in 2018-19 revealed LeBron James can opt out of his contract with the Cavaliers after the season, and teams are already positioning themselves for a run at the King. SportsLine oddsmakers set the odds on where LeBron. Updated Jan 30, 2019; Posted Feb 20, 2018 Could Joel Embiid and LeBron James team up on the Sixers next season? Players around the league, apparently, don't think James should do that. LeBron James is set to be a free agent, and his decision on where to play next season could shake up the NBA once again. So where will the King find his throne? We look at the most likely options.

DECEMBER 3: The Lakers have officially announced James’s contract extension in a press release. “LeBron James is a transcendent basketball player, and human being,” GM Rob Pelinka said in a. February 19, 2018 Share. Link Chain Icon. This is shaping up to be a huge summer for the NBA, and no bigger question hangs over The Association than where LeBron James will sign.

LeBron James drew the ire of the basketball world for his decision to leave Cleveland in the summer of 2010 in order to join the Miami Heat. “The Decision” created loads of backlash at the time, and the Heat were the villains of the league during his four years on South Beach. However, he was universally praised for his decision to rejoin the Cavaliers three seasons ago.

He wanted to come back and help the Cavs to their first ever NBA title, and the city of Cleveland’s first championship in over 50 years. After coming up just short in his first season back in Ohio, James kept that promise and led the Cavaliers to the title in 2016. They were soundly beaten in the Finals earlier this month by the Golden State Warriors, but LeBron has done his job.

As a result, there has been speculation over the last few days regarding LeBron’s potential future elsewhere. Now that he’s done what he said he would do in Cleveland, he will likely be able to leave the city again with far less ridicule this time around. Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical said on his podcast earlier in the week that James may very well leave the Cavaliers following next season, when he’ll be a free agent:

Woj said, “Not only is there no guarantee he’s coming back, I’m not sure there’s an expectation he’s re-signing there. I think they feel, I think within Cleveland and around the league, they feel that he’s very much in play to leave again and likely head out West to one of the two L.A. teams. The Lakers could very well be a target.

The possibility of Miami again, based on how they, what that team looks like and where they are. Would Dwyane Wade go back there?

But I think the focus, a lot of LeBron’s – his business interests, his Hollywood aspirations, his media ventures are base out there.

And I wrote this last year and said it and believed it: The minute he won that championship in Cleveland he was liberated to leave again. Now, if he had not won a title in Cleveland and then left again, I think there would be tremendous backlash again. But the fact that he came back and did what he set out to do, which was to bring a title to Cleveland.”

So, if James does leave, where’s he going? Let’s break it down.

Los Angeles Lakers +400

Woj mentions that if James is to leave Cleveland, then somewhere on the west coast makes sense. James purchased a home in Los Angeles a few years back, and we know LeBron wants to be involved in Hollywood stuff as his career progresses and after he retires from hoops. There are two teams in Los Angeles, of course, but the Lakers are the glamour club compared to the Clippers.

The Lakers are currently in the midst of a rebuild, but they would have to change everything if LeBron were to indicate he wants to don the Purple and Gold. They have several appealing young pieces already in place, which should make it rather easy for them to facilitate a few trades in order to surround James with more established veterans.

We’re assuming LeBron gets through next season healthy. There is a question of fit otherwise here, though. Do the Lakers want to mortgage their long-term future to accommodate James, who will be 33 next summer? He’s a superhuman that has shown no signs of slowing down, but age catches up with everybody. LeBron won’t be this LeBron forever. At some point, he’ll decline. The Lakers certainly won’t tell James “no” if he wants to come on board, but will they consent to jettisoning most of the youth from the roster in an attempt to win now?

We would say yes. The Lakers have been awful for the last few seasons, and the fan base in Los Angeles is restless. They need to rebuild the thing into a contender as soon as possible. If that means giving up on guys like D’Angelo Russell and Brandon Ingram to appease a player of LeBron’s caliber, so be it.

Still, we’re not buying that LeBron will be wooed by the Lakers’ legacy.

Los Angeles Clippers +200

So there are two teams in L.A. James can join whichever he wants. The Clippers are actually the far better team these days, which makes this a very interesting proposition. James has enjoyed a longtime friendship with Clipper point guard Chris Paul, and the two have reportedly entertained the idea of joining forces in the past. It hasn’t happened yet, but LeBron could always come west to join CP3 in Tinseltown.

This summer will dictate plenty, but the Clippers have already taken a huge step forward by snagging longtime executive Jerry West from the Golden State Warriors. West will instantly add some legitimacy to the Clippers’ operation as a whole, and he’s been instrumental in building championship teams in the past. He would have James’ ear if James were to look to find a new home.

CP3 and Blake Griffin will be free agents this summer. They both appear likely to remain with the Clips, though it’s no guarantee. Griffin’s departure likely wouldn’t affect LeBron’s interest in joining the Clippers either way, but Paul deciding to stick around could be the first step in their LeBron courtship. Securing Paul on a new long-term deal is likely priority No. 1 for LAC over the next month.

If everyone sticks around, the Clips could theoretically boast a foursome of James, Paul, Griffin and DeAndre Jordan. That still may not match the insane firepower of the team from the Bay Area, but it would clearly make them the top challenger to Golden State’s perch atop the Western Conference.

We like the Clippers a lot here, and think their chances are even better than the Lakers’ at landing King James.

Golden State Warriors +1000

Just kidding. Not a chance.

Miami Heat +800

Woj mentioned that there is a rumor going around that James could go right back to Miami once he decides he’s had enough of Cleveland. The relationship between he and Pat Riley seemed to sour when James left the Heat last time, but the same thing happened with the Cavs’ Dan Gilbert. Relationships can be patched back together. If LeBron wants to go back to Miami, Riley would welcome him with open arms.

The Heat are going to find themselves with a lot of free money, as was the case when James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh joined forces seven years ago. They can find a taker for Goran Dragic and Hassan Whiteside if need be, which would essentially give Riley a clean slate with which to build around LeBron.

Would Wade return? There’s no telling. He’s clearly on the back-9 of his career, so if he were to come aboard (and repair his own damaged relationship with Riley) he would likely just be a complementary piece. It isn’t particularly difficult to sell NBA players on going to play in Miami. It pretty much sells itself.

This is certainly possible, but we think the smoke around the fire regarding James’ interest in moving to the west coast is more realistic. A lot can change within the span of a year, but we don’t really see the Heat as a particularly realistic option.

Sacramento Kings +500000

This would be fun just from a narrative perspective. The Kings are the closest geographical rivals to the Warriors, and it would be amazing to see LeBron and his Kings superteam take on the Warriors four times every regular season and into the postseason. LeBron also played his first ever NBA game in Sacramento with the Cavs. Other than being near the west coast, though, there’s no reason to believe LeBron would actually join the NBA’s most dysfunctional organization. Move along.

New York Knicks +10000

West coast be damned, LeBron has not been shy about voicing his love of New York City in years past. The Knicks were one of the teams he considered joining in 2010, and he could always revisit the idea eight years later.

One thing that could throw a wrench into the Knicks’ potential as a landing spot is the Carmelo Anthony situation. The Knicks are expected to trade Anthony this summer. James and Anthony have been friends for a long time, and Melo is another guy LeBron has spoken about playing with in the past. It’s tough to imagine Anthony returning to New York after just one year, especially given the ugly way in which that relationship has soured. Would LeBron go back to the team that just stabbed his friend in the back publicly?

In terms of basketball potential, though, there’s something here. Kristaps Porzingis looks like a superstar-in-the-making, and Willy Hernangomez came on strong as a potential center of the future as a rookie last year. Outside of those two, the Knicks are something of a clean slate. We’re really only listing them here because LeBron seems to enjoy New York. Otherwise, they’re a true longshot.

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Philadelphia 76ers

One big priority for a star player looking for his next team is the ability to instantly contend for the NBA championship. Having won over 50 games and beaten the Heat in the first round of the playoffs, the 76ers could be poised for a deep playoff run after adding a key piece. Adding LeBron James at the SF position allows him to share ball handling responsibilities with Ben Simmons and round out a dangerous starting five (Simmons, Redick, James, Saric, Embiid). This team would be a great fit for LeBron, has some cap space available, and is ready to contend next year.

Potential Cap Space: $31m

Cleveland Cavaliers

“There’s no place like home” absolutely rings true for LeBron James as he considers his options for the 2018-2019 NBA season. Born in Akron, Ohio, LeBron James was drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers and went on to bring a championship to the Land after some other stuff happened in between. One of these in-between occurrences was LeBron becoming vice president of the NBA players’ association, where he and previously mentioned friend Chris Paul negotiated a new rule that basically allows them to make more money. Thanks to this rule, which James negotiated himself, the Cavs can offer LeBron a 5-year contract worth over $200m. No other team can make such an offer and since LeBron and CP3 worked to change the rule it is possible that James will take advantage of it and remain in Cleveland. Furthermore, the Cavaliers can go over the salary cap to resign James. One argument against LeBron staying is that the roster is too weak to contend for an NBA championship, especially against the Warriors. This is a valid argument and LeBron can use his extra $50m to dry his tears after his 9^th NBA finals appearance in as many years.

Los Angeles Lakers

The Lakers are one of the most talked about teams when it comes to free agent destinations for the King, and this is for a good reason: they are absolutely flush with cash. With the ability to potentially sign two max contract players or a handful of highly effective role players at worst, one should expect the Lakers to be high up on the list of teams James is considering. However, the question remains: Can this team contend in the West? Since the Western conference is so much stronger than the East, fulfilling his manifest destiny and going west presents LeBron with a much harder path to the NBA Finals than he has faced in the better part of the last decade when he has steamrolled his was to a conference finals victory much more often than not.

Potential Cap Space: $59m

Houston Rockets

The Rockets would be another great destination for LeBron because they have a great team and a weak rotation at the small forward position. Adding LeBron into the starting five with future MVP James Harden and long-time all-star and friend Chris Paul would move Trevor Ariza (if they keep him) to the bench, strengthening an already great bench that features Sixth Man of the Year Eric Gordon. This would make the Rockets a major threat to win the championship in 2019 and thus would theoretically make a lot of sense for LeBron’s next move. The issue is that the Rockets will be over the salary cap next year and would have to make major roster changes to accommodate a max contract.

Potential Cap Space: $17m

San Antonio Spurs

The Spurs are another great team out West, and there are a few different reasons LeBron could consider switching conferences to join them. For one, they have a strong roster and perennially make the playoffs. One complication for the Spurs has been their tenuous relationship with their star Kawhi Leonard, who sat out the entire playoffs this year despite being cleared to play by the team doctors. Some have suggested this could be indicative of a strained relationship between Leonard and the team. If this is true, a trade involving Leonard could add valuable players in return while simultaneously making way for LeBron to fill the newly vacated starting SF role.

Potential Cap Space: $18m

Utah Jazz

Like the Rockets and the Spurs, the Jazz are a playoff team in the West with the potential to have some cap space available this offseason. With some roster adjustments, they could make the $14m of room needed to afford a max contract. With a good core of Gobert, Ingles, Mitchell, and Rubio they are potential contenders to win LeBron James this summer.

Potential Cap Space: $22m

Indiana Pacers

In the Eastern Conference, not many teams have the right formula of cap space and strong performances to have the chance of signing LeBron. Another great fit within this mold would be Indiana, having the potential to have more than a max contract of space and the ability to be a playoff team next year with or without LeBron. Thanks to the breakout performance of Victor Oladipo and the excellent work on acquisitions and trades by the Pacers front office, the Pacers are positioned to be a nice new home for LeBron next season.

Potential Cap Space: $54m

Summary

Likely: Philadelphia, Cleveland

Possible: LA Lakers, Houston

Longshots: San Antonio, Utah, Indiana

References

Smith, Keith P. “Projected 2018 Cap Space for All 30 NBA Teams”. RealGM. https://basketball.realgm.com/analysis/249237/Projected-2018-Cap-Space-For-All-30-NBA-Teams