‘Salary Cap Is Laughable at This Point,’ ‘How Is This Allowed?’ — NBA World Sounds Alarm As LeBron James’ Polymarket Endorsement Dwarfs 76ers Contract

Maliha Akter Thu, September 17, 2026 at 7:37 AM UTC

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'Salary Cap Is Laughable at This Point,' 'How Is This Allowed?' -- NBA World Sounds Alarm As LeBron James' Polymarket Endorsement Dwarfs 76ers Contract

Expectations are mixed regarding LeBron James’ first season with the Philadelphia 76ers. Many believe the newly constructed superteam has a strong chance to contend for an NBA championship, while others remain skeptical about the roster’s fit.

The conversation around James’ move to Philadelphia has now taken another turn, with the 22-time All-Star’s lucrative endorsement deal with Polymarket raising alarm among fans.

NBA Fans Stunned by LeBron James’ $15 Million Annual Polymarket Deal

Per Front Office Sports’ Wednesday report, James is set to receive $15 million annually from Polymarket as part of an endorsement agreement. The source clarified that the four-time MVP is not an investor in the prediction-market platform and is involved strictly as an endorser.

James signed a two-year, $7.9 million contract with Philadelphia in late July and is set to make $3.9 million with the team during the 2026-27 season. That means his annual Polymarket compensation will be more than three times his salary with the 76ers.

The timing of James’ deal has fueled scrutiny, as the NBA grapples with the fallout from its biggest salary-cap circumvention scandal. The league recently wrapped up a nearly year-long investigation into the Los Angeles Clippers and Kawhi Leonard.

However, unlike the Leonard case, there is no evidence that the 76ers’ ownership or front-office executives played any role in arranging James’ Polymarket agreement. Still, the deal drew criticism from fans.

“His real salary (is) paid by the gambling app. NBA salary cap is laughable at this point,” Gerber Kawasaki CEO Ross Gerber wrote.

“How is this [expletive] allowed? Genuinely,” one user questioned.

“Being a billionaire and selling out for $15M is actually so nasty lol,” a fan added.

The news also prompted some fans to call for investigative journalist Pablo Torre, who exposed the Clippers’ secret dealings, to examine the agreement.

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“👀👀 Pablo????” one user reacted.

ClutchPoints insider Brett Siegel pointed out that the endorsement deal does not appear to violate the NBA’s collective bargaining agreement, before discussing its potential ramifications.

“But moving forward, these side deals players have with companies could directly lead to smaller contracts to help with cap relief, which, in theory, is kind of like cap circumvention. Really weird times,” Siegel noted.

Meanwhile, another theory emerged surrounding James’ decision to join Philadelphia rather than the Minnesota Timberwolves during free agency.

Timberwolves podcast host Jack Borman highlighted the timing of the developments, recalling that James announced his decision to join the 76ers on July 24. At that point, Polymarket was expected to remain unavailable in Minnesota because of a state law that made it a felony for prediction-market companies to operate or advertise there.

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Borman added that a federal judge issued an injunction on July 27, temporarily putting the ban on hold, three days after James publicly announced his next team. Minnesota was reportedly the first state to enact such a law, according to MPR.

“Whoever said that LeBron didn’t go to Minnesota cuz this garbage is illegal called it,” one fan added.

“Unquestionably played a role in Minnesota not being his destination. Not saying he otherwise would’ve moved to Minneapolis, but Minnesota’s ban on prediction markets effectively eliminated them even if it was the #1 preferred spot,” The Daily Wolves’ Tim Garrison wrote.

James’ Polymarket deal comes at a time when prediction-market platforms are competing aggressively for visibility and users as football season gets underway. Kalshi is another major player in the industry, with Miami Heat superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo among its investors.

This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.

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Source: “AOL Sports”