Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James will likely opt out of his player option and hit unrestricted free agency this offseason. Though the expectation is he will remain with the Lakers, that has not stopped further speculation. In February, the four-time NBA MVP was linked to the Miami Heat in a possible reunion by Rohan Nadkarni of SI.com.
“Miami is kind of a legacy on this list as a previous James team and because he made it a point to publicly congratulate Erik Spoelstra on the massive extension Spo signed this season,” Nadkarni wrote. “With the Heat struggling to break through to the very top during the Jimmy Butler era, adding James would obviously be a game-changer.”
However, Miami Heat legend Tim Hardaway Sr. believes there is “no chance” James returns to Miami. On The Carton Show, Hardaway said Heat president Pat Riley would not let James return to Miami even if he wanted to.
.@HardawaySr says there’s no chance LeBron James goes back to the Miami Heat:
“After what happened back then…Pat Riley is not going to him.” 😳🤔 pic.twitter.com/jT6nHcNdQW
— The Carton Show (@TheCartonShow) May 1, 2024
James played for the Heat from 2010 to 2014. During James’ run with Miami, the team made it to the NBA Finals all four seasons, winning two championships. Additionally, the Akron native won the NBA MVP award twice and finished in the top three in voting each season.
NBA Legend: No Chance LeBron James Returns to Former Team
Betting Odds for LeBron James’ 2024-25 Team
According to FanDuel‘s betting odds, James is likely staying with the Lakers (+150). Right behind them is the New York Knicks (+950). However, the two teams following the Knicks are the most intriguing. The Heat and Cleveland Cavaliers are tied with the third-highest betting odds to land James in the offseason (+1100). James started his career with Cleveland and played there for 11 seasons across two separate stints. With Cleveland, James won one championship and two NBA MVP awards.
LeBron No Longer Prioritizing Playing With Son Bronny?
For multiple years, James has stated he wants to play with his son Bronny at the NBA level. However, recent reports suggest “King James” has changed his mind, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
“That the idea of them playing together is not a priority; it’s not foremost, at least any longer, in LeBron James’ mind,” Wojnarowski stated on NBA Today.
Wojnarowski also said it may not be in the Lakers’ best interest to draft James from purely a basketball perspective.
“I think what LeBron James, Bronny James, and Rich Paul said was if organically somehow they ended up together, that would be great,” Wojnarowski said. “But you look at the Lakers’ draft assets, No. 17, that’s a really important pick for the Lakers probably to use in a big trade. You’re not gonna use it on Bronny James at 17. And then they have No. 55. He could very well be gone by then.”
Bronny has declared for the 2024 NBA Draft, and the Lakers are reportedly open to drafting him to keep the elder James in free agency. Because of this, it will be interesting to see if Bronny’s draft stock changes this summer.
