When the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook released their 2018 NBA Finals odds a couple days ago, the LeBron James-effect was obvious.

Since there’s been a massive amount of speculation regarding where LeBron will end up this summer, oddsmakers did their best to reflect the possibilities.

The Golden State Warriors were listed as the favorites at +125, but the Philadelphia 76ers, a rumored possibility to land James, were tied with the Houston Rockets, another possible LeBron destination, for the second-highest odds at winning it all. The Los Angeles Lakers (20/1), Miami Heat (20/1) and Cleveland Cavaliers (30/1) were all in the top-eight.

The Rockets, 76ers, Lakers, Heat and Cavaliers are the only franchises that have been mentioned as realistic possibilities to land the King. That means that five of the top eight teams are directly tied to LeBron. That's no coincidence.

"When you have LeBron in free agency, you have to be careful," Westgate SuperBook oddsmaker John Murray told ESPN. "You've got Philadelphia, Miami, the Lakers and even Houston as potential destinations [outside of Cleveland]. We cut all of those teams' odds down, and we'll raise back up the teams he doesn't sign with.”

Since he’s playing in his eighth-straight Finals, there’s no guarantee that James leaves Cleveland for the second time. Judging by the comments of close friend and business partner Maverick Carter, nothing matters to him more than winning.

“These days it doesn’t matter because you can be known and be a star from anywhere – anywhere in the world,” Carter recently told syndicated talk show host Rich Eisen.

“I mean, could he sell a few more sneakers if he was in a gigantic market like Boston, Chicago, New York, or L.A.? Maybe. But not as much as if he wins. What matters the most is if he wins. When you win as an athlete, that matters the most,” he explained.

Therefore, those comments may indicate that James isn’t willing to take the risk to join a young, inexperienced team like the Lakers, even if there’s a giant market and he owns two California homes and has Hollywood interests.

If the Cavaliers are able to erase their 2-0 deficit and somehow take down the Golden State Warriors in the Finals, it seems like a foregone conclusion that he’d stay put. But, if they get swept or lose in five games, he may decide to make the tough decision to leave his hometown once again in pursuit of his fourth championship.

Since LeBron has been in the Finals for eight-straight seasons, there’s no reason to expect him not to dominate and lead his team wherever he ends up. Although Carter’s comments flew under the radar, they re-affirmed James’ desire to win at all costs and, in effect, supported the idea that he will stay in Cleveland, where he has been to four-straight Finals in his second stint with the organization.

Staying there while demanding a better supporting cast might be his best bet in his ultimate quest of chasing Michael Jordan's six rings.