NBA Odds: Oddsmakers Not (Yet) Buying LeBron James-Celtics Speculation

At least one offshore sportsbook isn’t reading too much into a Stephen A. Smith report about LeBron James.

Smith raised some eyebrows Wednesday when he mentioned the Boston Celtics as a possible suitor for LeBron James this summer.

James is expected to opt out of his contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers and become a free agent, which instantly would make him the summer desire of every NBA team.

Of course, only a handful of teams have a legitimate shot at landing the best player in the world. Smith said the Celtics are one of those teams, but BetOnline.ag doesn’t seem to agree — yet.

Here’s how the offshore book is handicapping the LeBron sweepstakes at the moment.

Houston Rockets +150
Cleveland Cavaliers +300
Philadelphia 76ers +350
Los Angeles Lakers +400
San Antonio Spurs +1200
Golden State Warriors +1600
Los Angeles Clippers +1800
Miami Heat +2500

Not listed anywhere on that list, you can see, are the Boston Celtics. In fairness to Stephen A., he simply said James would “have a conversation with Boston,” while listing him among the suitors.

Smith also mentioned the Warriors as an option, so if you’re looking to get a big payout, perhaps that makes the most sense. And if you’re going to do that, you might as well look for a way to bet on them to win every NBA title for the next five or six years.

The smartest pick, though, might still be the Lakers.