Could the NBA champion New York Knicks add superstar LeBron James to their list? That’s the question being asked as the Knicks celebrated their first title in 53 years Thursday, just as James approaches unrestricted free agency.
James flirted with the Knicks and in the summer of 2010, but as you may have heard, decided instead to take his talents to South Beach and join the Miami Heat. Since then, he has returned to Cleveland, where he won a championship with the Cavaliers in 2016 – something he has been celebrating on the golf course this week with some former Cavs teammates and then headed west, where he won a title with the Lakers in 2020.
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Now, speculation continues that James, 41, could go to the Knicks to help their quest to repeat as NBA Champions. However, bettors aren’t as convinced as Knicks fans and media members who have dreamed up the idea of Jalen Brunson and LeBron James teaming up in New York’s famed Madison Square Garden.
Polymarket bettors just watch the 1% the King plays his home games with at MSG next season. And of the rumored pending James decision, which includes whether to retire or play an NBA-record 24th pro season, a return to the Los Angeles Lakers seems most likely. Going home to Cleveland for the third time is receiving the second most action.
Will LeBron James play for the Los Angeles Lakers in 2026-27?
About the only outcome that would surprise NBA fans would be if James spurned the Knicks, Lakers, Cavs and the rest of the league by retiring. That seems increasingly unlikely for a man who not only loves the spotlight, but is still playing at an All-Star level.
LeBron is coming off a season where he averaged 21 points, 6 rebounds and 7 assists a game in just over 33 minutes of action a night. James, the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, increased all three of those numbers during LA’s 10-game playoff run. He often did so in dominant fashion as the undermanned Lakers were forced to compete without superstar Luka Doncic or starter Austin Reaves.
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James is scheduled to hit unrestricted free agency on June 30, just over two weeks after the Knicks clinched the title. If he chooses to take his talents to the Big Apple, New York will be forced to reshuffle their championship roster. As it stands, the Knicks are slated to be about $40 million over the salary cap for 2026-27. That means James will have to take a massive pay cut from the more than $52 million he earned during the ’25-26 campaign. Or some talented Knicks will take their huge salaries and championship rings elsewhere.
These are the kind of decisions only a king can make.
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