LeBron James shook up the summer and claimed the weekend by signing a team-friendly two-year deal worth $8 million with the Philadelphia 76ers. Could LeBron be the final piece to the process? Is this the moment that Philly sports fans have been waiting for? Oddsmakers make the 76ers 9-to-1 to win the NBA Finals, tied for the third-best odds with the Knicks (+900) and behind the Thunder (+270) and Spurs (+270).
Let’s take a look at the odds to win the NBA Finals before LeBron signed with the 76ers courtesy of DraftKings:
Miami: +1700
Cleveland: +2000
Philadelphia: +2000
Golden State: +3000
Los Angeles: +4500
Odds to win the NBA Finals after LeBron signed with the 76ers courtesy of DraftKings:
Philadelphia: +900
Cleveland: +2500
Miami: +3000
Los Angeles: +3500
Golden State: +6000
Oddsmakers are basically washing their hands of the Warriors’ title hopes and laughing at anyone who bought stock before the James news. Although, we can all agree that a team with Steph Curry, Draymond Green, and Jimmy Butler would have been must-see TV.
Cleveland took a slight hit in odds to win it all as James would have solidified one of the best starting fives if he signed there, but naturally, he had to break Cleveland’s hearts again. Cleveland had the second-best odds of landing James.
After Miami signed Giannis Antetokounmpo, James would have made them a title favorite out of the East, but Miami moves from +1700 to +3000 making the Heat a long shot without The King.
The only teams odds that improved after LeBron signed with Philadelphia is Los Angeles — but that’s mainly because he didn’t end up on the Warriors. LeBron handed the keys to Luka Doncic who became the face of the Lakers, but let’s be honest, there was never enough talent around both players for the Lakers to compete with the Western Conference, so this is a great career move for James.
LeBron talked about his final experiences with the Lakers on X and why he signed with the 76ers. If you ask me, the 76ers have everything James needs to succeed.
““I thought I was done when the season ended. I wasn’t ready to announce it, and I knew I needed some time to really decide, but I was pretty sure I played my last game. I was honest at that last press conference when I said I needed to look at myself and deicide if I still love this game. I still truly love this game, and I have more to give.
“The last few weeks have really been special. I’ve never been able to have no clue what to do and take real time to just think. I’ve had an incredible few months with all the people I love trying to figure it all out. This is my last decision. I’m not going for money. I’m not going for family. What am I really playing for at this point? I still want to sacrifice. I still want to work. I still want to grind. I still want to compete, to win and to have a chance at the feeling of winning another championship.
I believe I can help make the Philadelphia 76ers a championship team and I am so excited to energize a new fan base and start this incredible journey one last time.
Thank you LA. Miami I’ll forever love and Northeast Ohio will always home! 🙏🏾🫡👑”
Philadelphia has a dedicated fan base that wants to win as bad as he does. A stacked roster with one of the best starting fives in all of basketball. You have Joel Embiid, the franchise cornerstone, Jaylen Brown, a former NBA Champ attempting to rewrite his narrative, VJ Edgecombe, a young and up and coming star, plus Tyrese Maxey, a star coming off a career year that will split the on-ball usage with James, who is the best player since 2000 and one of the GOAT’s.
Because of James, you can no longer double team Embiid. No matter who is at the three-point line, all five players are capable of hitting the triple or attacking the rim. Off the bench, Anfernee Simons, Labaron Philon, and Dean Wade come in as instant offense and give this team range. The depth behind Embiid and James is where the questions with this team lie. Dominick Barlow and Adem Bona won’t be enough, but there is still time for Philadelphia to make moves and given LeBron’s impact — it shouldn’t take much time for a player or two to follow James to Philadelphia.
At +900 odds to win the title, you may see people saying it’s not worth betting anymore, but are you really taking anyone besides the Knicks to come out of the East? I sure wouldn’t.
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