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LeBron James Likely Staying in Cleveland, Odds Maker Says

By Jim Scott | May 4, 2010 12:31pm | Updated on May 4, 2010 12:26pm
LeBron James plays against the Boston Celtics in Game One of the Eastern Conference Semifinals on May 1, 2010.
LeBron James plays against the Boston Celtics in Game One of the Eastern Conference Semifinals on May 1, 2010.
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Gregory Shamus/Getty Images

Jim Scott

DNAinfo Senior Editor

MIDTOWN — Sorry Knicks fans, but LeBron James is likely staying in Cleveland, according to an online gambling website.

The website Bodog.com posted odds Monday on which team the NBA superstar will sign with once he hits the free agent market on July 1.

New York is listed with the second-best odds of landing James at 3-1.

The Knicks are desperate to turn their franchise around after subjecting fans to nine straight losing seasons. New York has cleared over $30 million in salary cap space to give themselves a chance to sign James and another maximum-salaried player this summer.

Despite the Knicks financial maneuvering, the online gambling site has made the Cleveland Cavaliers overwhelming favorites to keep the 2-time MVP with solid 1-3 odds.

The Nets are a distant third choice behind the Knicks at 10-1.

The Cavaliers have posted the best record in the NBA for two straight years and are currently battling with the Boston Celtics in the second round of the NBA playoffs.

Cleveland basketball fans aren't the only ones who want to see James wearing a Cavaliers jersey next season. NBA Commissioner David Stern said Monday that he also hopes James returns to Cleveland.

“Hopefully he’ll stay,” Stern told the Associated Press Monday. “That’s the way the system is designed.”

Under the NBA's collective bargaining agreement, teams have the ability to pay more and add an extra year to the contract for their own free agents, giving the Cavs a huge advantage over the Knicks.

However, New York has Madison Avenue and a world famous nightlife, something Cleveland can't possibly match.