LeBron James Signing Moves Lakers Up to Second in NBA Title Odds

Earlier tonight Klutch Sports Group announced announced that the Los Angeles Lakers signed LeBron James to a four-year, $154 million max contract. The signing has everyone losing their minds, including gamblers.

So, just how much did adding James to the already talented young Lakers core affect their 2018-2019 NBA title odds? According to the Westgate Las Vegas Superbook, LBJ’s addition caused a huge shift in the odds.

The Lakers, who were previously 20/1 to win it all next year, now have the second best odds to win it all at 7/2. They come in only behind the Golden State Warriors, at 10/11. The Lakers and the Boston Celtics are currently tied for second, at +350. On the flip side, the Cleveland Cavaliers odds have plummeted to 500/1 without LeBron.

I caught up with with the Westgate’s Jeff Sherman to discuss the Lakers from a gambling perspective. I wanted to know their thought process in moving the Lakers to 2nd, ahead of teams like the Houston Rockets (7/1), and being on par with the Celtics.

Was it strictly the ‘LeBron effect’, or were they expecting a Kawhi Leonard addition? Or is it just a matter of shading themselves from the amount of public money that is going to pour in on the Lakers?

Sherman said it was little bit of all three.

"“You got the parts of question 1 correctly. In the low spot they are due to currently incoming and projected support, in addition to the probability of adding more pieces (possibly Kawhi) to their roster.”"

I also wanted to know what the Lakers odds would jump to if they added Kawhi, to which Sherman replied:

"“2/1”."

Even without Leonard, getting LeBron to commit to a four-year deal helps the organization tremendously. They can now focus on shaping out their roster with James as the centerpiece, without the fear of him leaving next year.

The Lakers also seem to be loading up on veteran short-term deals –Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Lance Stephenson, and JaVale McGee – opening the door for an addition of Leonard next year via free agency.

Either way, Leonard to the Lakers is looking like a strong possibility, especially because ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski is reporting Leonard prefers Los Angeles. We all know when Woj says something, the wheels usually are in motion.

Betting-wise, this year’s Lakers team as is, without another star like Leonard, is highly unlikely to dethrone the Warriors. And, if you want to bet the Lakers to win the title, you are not going to get favorable odds anymore due to public support. Although, if you think they are going to land Leonard this season, this might be your time to book a futures ticket before the odds change. Even if the Lakers do come up short this year, it certainly feels like the start of something special in L.A.