Royal Odds: Knicks Betting Favorite to Land Lakers' LeBron James

If LeBron James does wind up leaving the Los Angeles Lakers, early odds peg the New York Knicks as the top destination.

Madison Square Garden played host to Henrik Lundqvist, the New York Rangers goaltender often referred to as "The King" for over a decade. Could a new brand of royalty arrive to take over the Manhattan throne? 

That's what early odds from BetOnline.ag hint at, as the New York Knicks currently have a 3/1 chance to land the services of LeBron James if he opts out of his current affairs with the Los Angeles Lakers. James' season ended on Monday night when an improbable run to the Western Conference Finals saw his seventh-seeded Lakers fall in a four-game sweep to the top-ranked Denver Nuggets.

The New York Knicks are the favorites to land LeBron James if he leaves the Lakers, per @betonline_ag pic.twitter.com/RSrQ7NYtMp

— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) May 23, 2023

On that list, the Knicks lead their divisional rivals, the Philadelphia 76ers (7/2) while the Lakers' Crypto.com Arena roommates, the Los Angeles Clippers are third at 5/1. A return to the Cleveland Cavaliers (7/1) and the Phoenix Suns (8/1) round out the top five.

The Knicks and James will likely continue to be hypothetically linked until either New York folds or the current Laker retires. James has made no secret about his love of playing at Madison Square Garden, which hosted its fair share of memorable James moments between his years in Cleveland, Miami, and Los Angeles. The Lakers' most recent visit to MSG in January, for example, saw James become the first player in NBA history to put up a triple-double in his 20th season of play.

James' future has already become a headline in the final stages of the NBA Playoffs, as the 38-year-old offered a cryptic response when queried about his Los Angeles future after Monday's loss.

"I got to think about it," James said about returning for a 21st season. "Going forward with the game of basketball, I've got a lot to think about."

The hypothetical arrival of James would undoubtedly further jolt a Knicks fanbase fresh off one of its most lucrative seasons in years. New York defied preseason expectations by winning 47 games and clinching the fifth seed on the Eastern Conference playoff bracket, which yielded a first-round victory over former target Donovan Mitchell and the Cavaliers. 

James also proved he's still capable of single-handedly turning the tide of a playoff series as well: he guided the Lakers to the semifinal round after a 2-10 start to the season and averaged 28.9 points and 8.3 rebounds (the latter being his best since his first Lakers season in 2018-19). The 19-time All-Star also usurped Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the all-time leading scorer in NBA history in February. 

Having said that, adding James would likely hinder any future the Knicks are trying to establish for themselves, as he carries a $46.9 million cap hit on the latter year of a two-year deal inked last August. Further down the road, James is due $50.6 million in a player option for the 2024-25 season. 

Though James has maintained a dominant prescience on the floor, he's dealt with several injuries over the past few seasons, having played no more than 56 games in each of the past three years. It's already further confirmed that James will need foot surgery after his latest playoff excursion.

The opening stages of the Knicks' offseason have been eventful, with early rumors connecting them to newly-minted NBA MVP Joel Embiid and long-tenured Portland Trail Blazer Damian Lillard. Even the slightest link between the Knicks and James will generate traction and only time will tell if it leads to anything.

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Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags

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