In July, LeBron James agreed to join the Philadelphia 76ers on the smallest contract of his professional career. As he prepares to enter his 24th NBA season, James signed a two-year, $8 million deal with his fourth NBA franchise. The contract is slightly backloaded, paying him approximately $3.9 million this season and $4.1 million in the 2027-28 campaign.
One reason James can comfortably accept such a significant pay cut—aside from earning more than $581 million over his NBA career—is his growing business portfolio. He has also signed a multiyear partnership with Polymarket, the prediction-market platform.
James’ agreement with Polymarket is reportedly worth $15 million annually. His previous partnership with DraftKings expired this summer.
Roy Rochlin/Getty Images for Fanatics
The figures make the contrast clear: James is set to earn nearly four times more from Polymarket this season than from his 76ers contract.
James is an endorser of Polymarket, not an investor in the company. His promotional work will focus on football rather than basketball. The arrangement also appears unlikely to become another Kawhi Leonard-Aspiration situation, as James has an “ongoing” partnership that includes multiple content and social media deliverables.
Even so, professional sports leagues continue moving deeper into a space filled with potential risks. Polymarket and similar platforms are classified as “prediction markets,” a designation that may distinguish them technically from traditional gambling sites but does not eliminate the potential harm. These markets can also cover subjects far beyond sports, despite the steady stream of Sydney Sweeney advertisements suggesting that at least one platform limits itself to sporting events. Fans already have countless ways to place bets, yet the industry continues expanding those options.
Players at both the professional and collegiate levels have already been caught betting on games, in some cases involving contests in which they were participating. Creating even more betting opportunities could lead to more incidents of the same kind.
For James, however, the Polymarket agreement represents another savvy business decision in a career defined by them. It also adds to the wealth of the highest-earning player in NBA history.
