Where Will LeBron James Play Next Season? Odds Favor a Cavs Reunion
While the NBA season just ended in June, there is a lot of buzz around the league, with the big question being where LeBron James will play next season.
At DraftKings Sportsbook, the Cleveland Cavaliers (+130) have the best odds to land James. They're followed by the Golden State Warriors (+150), Miami Heat (+600), Philadelphia 76ers (+700), and Denver Nuggets (+1200).
| Team | Odds |
| Cleveland Cavaliers | +130 |
| Golden State Warriors | +150 |
| Miami Heat | +600 |
| Philadelphia 76ers | +700 |
| Denver Nuggets | +1200 |
| Washington Wizards | +1500 |
| New York Knicks | +2000 |
| Minnesota Timberwolves | +2000 |
| San Antonio Spurs | +2500 |
| Los Angeles Lakers | +2500 |
Where will LeBron James play the 2026-27 season?
Just days ago, King James, who is an unrestricted free agent, told the Los Angeles Lakers he would not be playing for the purple and gold next season.
Rich Paul, James’ agent, has said that many players on the teams that have a chance of landing James have reached out to the 22-time All-Star.
The ageless James will be playing in his 24th season. Here are the betting favorites on where LeBron will play next season.
Cleveland Cavaliers (+130)
The King’s first team won its only title in 2016 when James returned. The team has some solid pieces in Donovan Mitchell, James Harden, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen, and while they have been good over the last couple of seasons, they have not had playoff success.
Not only does Akron native LeBron have hometown ties to the team, but president of basketball operations Koby Altman and assistant general manager Brandon Weems are two of his closest friends from childhood.
Golden State Warriors (+150)
The Warriors were the first team that came to mind when James said he would be moving on from the Lakers. He has always wanted to play with star Steph Curry, and Golden State would be in win-it-all now mode if he were on board.
Golden State features Draymond Green, the recently re-signed Kristaps Porzingis, and star Jimmy Butler, who will be back sometime in the season, recovering from a knee injury.
Miami Heat (+600)
James won two titles with the Heat in four seasons in South Beach, and Erik Spoelstra was the head coach then and remains at the helm. The Heat already made a huge splash this offseason, winning the Giannis Antetokounmpo sweepstakes.
Giannis, with Bam Adebayo, gives Miami a great frontcourt, and James would fill a big need since the team gave up a lot of backcourt talent to land the Greek Freak.
Philadelphia 76ers (+700)
The 76ers’ odds of landing King James next season jumped when the team made a huge move to trade for star Jaylen Brown. Philly now has a more-than-solid core with Brown, Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, and Joel Embiid.
James and Maxey are close, as the young 76ers star has worked out with him over the last few summers.
Like the Cavs and Heat, the 76ers are in the East, which is seen as the weaker conference. If James stays in the West, he will have to deal with the Oklahoma City Thunder and the reigning conference champion San Antonio Spurs.
Denver Nuggets (+1200)
The Nuggets would be an intriguing fit for James, who could play alongside Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, and Aaron Gordon.
James would fill a big need, but the question is, even with him, would Denver be able to get past the Thunder or Spurs?
