LeBron James' move to Philadelphia makes 76ers the betting favorite out of the East

LAS VEGAS (AP) — LeBron James might have shifted the power in the Eastern Conference — and perhaps the NBA in general — when he ended eight seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers to sign with Philadelphia.

The 76ers are consensus favorites — from 8-1 to 9-1 odds — in the East to win it all, even ahead of the defending champion New York Knicks.

“I’m a Sixers fan, so I was very thrilled about it myself,” BetMGM Sportsbook trader Christian Cipollini said of King James going to Philadelphia. “Far and away, our most bet-on team, far and away our biggest liability (among contending teams)."

How much James has left at age 41 will be a big question as the NBA season opens Tuesday, but he remained among the league's top players last season in LA.

And he's not the only reason for high hopes in Philadelphia. The Sixers also added Jaylen Brown in a marquee trade with Boston.

But Joel Embiid's health could put a major dent in any championship plans. The seven-time All-Star has played in fewer than 40 games each of the past three seasons.

“I think it’s more Embiid, keeping him in one piece, that's going to be the key for them more than LeBron," longtime handicapper Bruce Marshall said. "It sort of all goes through him, and that’s been tough for Philly.”

Jalen Brunson and the Knicks overcame the odds to win the title last season, and they will have to do it again if they are to repeat.

Other than DraftKings Sportsbook, where they are 9-1 with the Sixers among Eastern teams to win the title, the Knicks sit just behind Philadelphia at BetMGM (10-1) and Caesars Sportsbook (9-1).

“Just with the hype of Philly and LeBron going there, it's just been more 76ers money than Knicks money,” Caesars NBA oddsmaker David Lieberman said. “It's so hard to repeat, but obviously their run was so dominant in the postseason, it's hard to doubt them until they (actually) lose in the playoffs.”

San Antonio and Oklahoma City are co-favorites at BetMGM (+260) and DraftKings (+270), with the Spurs at +270, just a touch ahead of the Thunders at +280 at Caesars.

Both teams were in similar positions at the end of last season, with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder looking to repeat and the young Spurs led by Victor Wembanyama playing as well as any team in the league.

The Spurs beat the Thunder in seven games to advance to the NBA Finals before losing in five games to the Knicks.

“The Spurs look like they're probably the team to beat in the West,” Marshall said. “So I think that's probably the way it goes, and it might be that way for a while.”

Though the Western Conference has long been the NBA's best and deepest, times could be changing, even with the two favorites being on that side of the bracket.

After the Spurs and Thunder, the next five teams — depending on the sportsbook — reside in the East.

“Outside the top two teams, I think the East has more maybe viable candidates,” Lieberman said. “It's almost like you can pretty much write down the 11 teams that make the playoffs maybe in both conferences. But given there's no tanking incentives anymore, there could be a couple of surprise teams that make it in one of the conferences.”

Indiana was in the NBA Finals just two seasons ago, its chances all but going up in smoke when Tyrese Haliburton tore his Achilles tendon in Game 7 against OKC.

Now he's back, but the Pacers are 35-1 across the board to win the championship.

“I think the East is stronger than a couple of years ago, and it would be tougher for them to do it,” Marshall said. “This is sort of the year it's got to happen. They've got a lot of guys coming up on free agency, so we'll see. Most of the guys are there that were on it a couple of years ago. If Haliburton hadn't gotten hurt, I thought they could've won that last game.”

Few expect Utah to be a true contender this season, but there is optimism the Jazz could be on the way back with recent high draft picks Ace Bailey and Darryn Peterson and a core that includes Lauri Markkanen and Keyonte George.

“I feel like there’s times where a team can make really big jumps,” Cipollini said. “The Jazz could be one of those, and just looking at the bets that were coming in, of the unrealistic teams to win, certainly the most amount of bets and one of our highest liability.”

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Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton, second from right, goes up to shoot over Milwaukee Bucks center Kel'el Ware (9) during the first half of a preseason NBA basketball game in Indianapolis, Friday, Oct. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) looks to shoot over Houston Rockets guard Marcus Smart (36) during the first quarter of a preseason NBA basketball game Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/Kevin M. Cox)

San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) reacts to a play during the first half of a preseason NBA basketball game against the Sacramento Kings in San Antonio, Friday, Oct. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

New York Knicks' Jalen Brunson (11) looks to pass away from Toronto Raptors' Jakob Poeltl (19) during the second half of a preseason NBA basketball game Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Philadelphia 76ers' LeBron James, left, goes up for a shot against Boston Celtics' Chris Cenac Jr. during the first half of a preseason NBA basketball game Friday, Oct. 16, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

The parents of one of three children killed in last week's shooting at an elementary school in Oregon have hired attorneys to investigate the school's protocols and how the teenage gunman got his weapon.

Rhoam Summer, 5, was one of three children killed along with a teacher in the attack Thursday at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, a mountain-ringed city of about 100,000 in central Oregon. The other two children killed were ages 8 and 11, and a fourth student and another teacher were wounded, police have said.

The attorneys announced the investigation Saturday, saying it will probe various issues, such as whether the school had an active shooter protocol in place and how the gunman, 16-year-old Griffin J. John II, acquired the 12-gauge pump-action shotgun police say he used and where it was originally purchased.

Bend-La Pine Schools Superintendent Steven Cook said Friday that the school district has “invested heavily” in security cameras, door locks, fencing and other security measures.

“We practice lockdowns with students and staff twice a year at every school,” Cook said. “Rest assured, we will take a hard look at everything that we have done, and what more needs to be done to ensure that our students, our staff and our families are safe in our schools.”

Rhoam's parents, Kelik and Lillian Summer, initially hired attorneys Friday to handle media interview requests, Tim Williams, a personal injury attorney in Bend and co-lead counsel for the parents, said in a phone interview. The boy's parents released their own statement remembering their son as strong and kind with a love for rainbows and unicorns along with sharks and dinosaurs.

“He was 5 years old,” the statement said. “He wanted to go to the pumpkin patch, learn to ride horses, learn to play an instrument, and be a bunny for Halloween.”

Of interest is how the shooter, a minor, accessed his weapon, Williams said.

A law enforcement official briefed on the shooting last week told The Associated Press the shooter’s gun was bought by his mother. The official spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss the investigation.

“We don’t know if the shooter’s mother qualified to own a firearm. We don’t know whether or not the dealer was aware that the firearm was being bought for a minor,” Williams said, adding that there are “various issues there we’re trying to suss out.”

Under Oregon law, a minor may possess a shotgun if provided by a parent or by someone else with the parent’s consent.

The attacker’s mother, Shauntai Nickerson, has not responded to messages from The Associated Press. Nickerson on Friday told some reporters outside her apartment near the school that if she could have done something to prevent the shooting, she would have.

Police said John got into the school by shooting through locked doors. Authorities said he was not currently enrolled in the Bend-La Pine district but had once been a special needs student at the school.

Williams said they are trying to determine whether the school district is “liable or not.” If it is liable, he added, they'd try to “work with the school district to come to some sort of conclusion, you know, and resolution, ideally safeguarding this from happening again in the future.”

Classes and activities were suspended Monday and Tuesday across the district. No reopening plan has been announced for Silver Rail.

Kelety reported from Phoenix.

Police caution tape surrounds Silver Rail Elementary in Bend, Ore., Friday, Oct. 16, 2026, a day after a deadly shooting. (AP Photo/Joe Kline)