Greetings, Panthers fans. Welcome to the weekend.

Feel free to use this thread to chat about (almost) anything you want: video games, food, movies, non-football sports, you name it. As long as it’s allowed by the site’s ToS, it’s fair game here.

You know the drill.

This is now an open thread

The Cleveland Cavaliers are bumping into the harsh realities that come with recently being above the second apron. Their main goal this offseason was to add a 41-year-old LeBron James to a contract that is far below market value. With the opportunity of doing so out the window, they’re now left to pivot to imperfect options to fill out the rotation.

If the Cavs want to advance to the conference finals or further next season, they will need some of their young players on cost-controlled contracts to provide meaningful minutes. As of now, Jaylon Tyson is the most likely candidate to do so.

Tyson took a meaningful step forward last year in his second season. He showed that he could be a knock-down three-point shooter who provides great energy on both ends of the court. That was much needed for a team that was often stuck in neutral for the first half of the season due to their wide array of injuries.

The improvement he showed last season has Cavs fans optimistic he can take another step forward. Sixty-two percent of fans surveyed earlier this week believe that he has the brightest future among recent draft picks.

While Tyson was the guy fans think has the brightest future, there were plenty out there that believe in Meleek Thomas.

Thomas was impressive this past month in Las Vegas. He led Summer League in scoring, while earning himself a spot on the All Summer League First Team. Summer League success doesn’t always translate to the NBA, but there’s plenty of reasons to be excited about the incredible scoring display Thomas displayed in Vegas.

We’ll see what kind of impact both can make on the Cavs this upcoming season.

The Eastern Conference is shaping up to be much more formidable this season. According to FanDuel, the Cavs have the sixth-best odds to win the conference at +1200. They trail the New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers, Boston Celtics, Toronto Raptors, and Detroit Pistons.

President Donald Trump picked Michael Jordan over LeBron James on Friday when asked to weigh in on the debate over the greatest player in NBA history.

Fox News correspondent Peter Doocy raised the question after James agreed to a two-year, $8 million contract with the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday.

Trump cited his relationship with Jordan and his contentious history with James while explaining his choice.

“Michael Jordan is a guy that’s a friend of mine. I play golf with him. He’s a really good guy,” Trump said. “I think LeBron is maybe he’s a racist, but maybe he doesn’t like Trump. I don’t know. I only like people that like me, so I would say Michael Jordan all the way.”

Trump did not compare the players’ basketball accomplishments.

Jordan won six NBA championships and five Most Valuable Player awards during his career. James has won four championships and four MVP awards and is the league’s career scoring leader. His move to Philadelphia will extend his career to a record 24th season.

Trump and James have publicly criticized each other for nearly a decade.

James endorsed Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election and later criticized Trump’s handling of issues involving athletes and professional sports. In 2017, James again questioned Trump after the president withdrew a White House invitation to the champion Golden State Warriors amid Steph Curry’s reluctance to attend.

Their dispute escalated in 2018 after James said during an interview with CNN’s Don Lemon that Trump was using sports to divide the country. Trump responded on social media by insulting James and Lemon before writing, “I like Mike.”

Jordan defended James afterward, saying he supported the NBA star’s work in his community.

Trump also chose Jordan when asked about the debate in 2020. At the time, he said Jordan’s limited public involvement in politics made him more popular.

Trump reached the same conclusion Friday.

The long-awaited decision of LeBron James has now been made, and he is headed to the Philadelphia 76ers on a two-year deal with the franchise. With that move, he will now share the court with one of Big Blue Nation’s favorites, Tyrese Maxey.

Also with the organization is Justin Edwards, who is still trying to get his feet wet in the NBA heading into year three. 

Maxey went to Instagram to share his reaction when the news broke Friday morning, and said he is “like Coach Cal” after landing his own prized recruit in LeBron James.

“I’m like coach cal” is such a funny statement by Tyrese Maxey 🤣🤣 pic.twitter.com/iY31zGWwYz

— Cameron Waddle (@CameronWaddle) July 24, 2026

In all seriousness, what a shocking move! LeBron James will be joining a team that was already viewed as one of the favorites in the Eastern Conference, and now bumps those odds up even more. A team with Maxey and James on it, with Joel Embiid, Jaylen Brown, VJ Edgecombe and many other talented pieces, is crazy.

LeBron said in his statement today that he “still wants to compete, to win and to have a chance at the feeling of winning another championship.” Well, not many other teams he could’ve joined give him as good a chance as the 76ers do at this point in the offseason. James has decided not to end his career back in Northeast Ohio with the Cleveland Cavaliers, where it all started, but is headed to Philadelphia to end his Hall of Fame career.

This could mean that the streak of Kentucky players winning an NBA championship may continue with a new team and a new face winning it all. In three of the last four years, we have seen a former Kentucky Wildcat win the Larry O’Brien trophy.

The Knicks winning this last one gave Karl-Anthony Towns a ring; the year before, it gave Shai Gilgeous-Alexander a ring and his teammate Cason Wallace with the Oklahoma City Thunder; then, in 2023, Jamal Murray won one with the Denver Nuggets.

Will we be able to add Tyrese Maxey and Justin Edwards to that list soon?

Editor's note: Get live updates on LeBron James joining the Philadelphia 76ers here.

Having LeBron James as a teammate must feel like winning the lottery.

Philadelphia 76ers guard VJ Edgecombe seemed pretty stoked after the NBA's all-time scorer announced he was joining the team with a two-year, $8 million contract on Friday, July 24.

Edgecombe, who won the Rising Stars Challenge MVP award at this year's NBA All-Star festivities, posted the celebration to his Instagram stories shortly after the news broke. He shared a photo of himself holding his hand to his head looking up at the camera smiling in the same way as James' famous "Smiling through it all! Can't believe this my life" Instagram story.

After James made the original post in 2018, the pool photo and caption instantly became a meme. His son Bryce also posted a version of the photo in 2024.

VJ Edgecombe recreated LeBron’s “Can’t believe this my life” meme on his IG stories upon hearing the news that the King was going to be his 76ers teammate 😂🏆 pic.twitter.com/KFoLhNYUWK

— Victoria Hernandez (@LadyViii) July 24, 2026

The four-time NBA champion was reportedly deciding between Philadelphia or a return to the Miami Heat or his hometown team, the Cleveland Cavaliers, after leaving the Los Angeles Lakers this offseason.

James will join 2022-2023 NBA MVP Joel Embiid and 2024 NBA Finals champion Jaylen Brown, who was shockingly traded from the Boston Celtics earlier in the month for Paul George and four draft picks.

Edgecombe is among several other notable figures who reacted to James' decision. Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro declared the day LeBron James Day, Philadelphia native and basketball icon Dawn Staley was thrilled, and Philadelphia Eagles star running back Saquon Barkley offered a warm welcome.

The 2026-2027 NBA schedule has not been released yet, but the 76ers open preseason with a game against the Celtics on Saturday, October 10. This past season, Philadelphia made it to the conference semifinals where they were swept by the eventual champion New York Knicks.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: VJ Edgecombe celebrates LeBron James joining 76ers with 'Can't believe this my life' meme

Andre Drummond had a curious reaction on Friday to LeBron James’ latest decision.

After James announced he was ending his free agency saga by signing with the Sixers, Drummond — a former Sixer himself — reacted by writing “Oh” and a concerned/sad emoji on X.

Drummond spent the last two seasons in Philly before joining the now defending-champion Knicks in free agency this summer.

Some fans questioned his decision to leave the Sixers, while others appeared to reference his post as being concerned about James joining the Knicks’ division rivals.

Oh https://t.co/w0phIig62z

— Andre Drummond (@AndreDrummond) July 24, 2026

However, the veteran center soon cleared things up in another post.

“I’m good where I’m at,” he wrote along with a praying-hands emoji.

Drummond is still one of the better rebounders in the league and will provide the Knicks with some much-needed frontcourt depth after the departure of Mitchell Robinson.

In 19.5 minutes per game last year, Drummond scored 6.4 points and hauled in 8.4 rebounds per contest.

He’ll be part of a Knicks team with big expectations next season, though the Sixers will also be a hugely formidable division rival after the addition of James.

With Jaylen Brown, Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid and V.J. Edgecombe, Philly will be considered a major threat to make it out of the East and prevent the Knicks from defending their crown.

The rest of the East also figures to be loaded, with Giannis Antetokounmpo teaming up with Bam Adebayo on the Heat and Tyrese Haliburton expected to be back healthy for the Pacers.

Jayson Tatum will also be ready for the Celtics’ opening night after missing much of last year through injury.

The news of the NBA summer came Friday morning when LeBron James announced he would be joining the Philadelphia 76ers.

James is signing a two-year, $8 million deal with Philadelphia after a unique free agency saga that culminated in quite the shocking conclusion.

The 41-year-old spent the better part of a month deciding where he would spend the final years of his career.

The rest of the league watched and waited for James to make the highly-touted decision, which has surely shaken up the Eastern Conference.

Now, the next question to answer is this: Will Bronny James follow his father?

As things stand, there are currently no plans or request for Bronny James to follow the NBA’s all-time leading scorer. Rich Paul, the agent of both Jameses, told ESPN that “they are not a package deal.”

As for the impact of LeBron James’ decision on his son Bronny James, Rich Paul, the agent for both tells ESPN that "they are not a package deal" and there's no current plan or request for Bronny Janes to join his father in Philly. 

Bronny James recently had his contract…

— Ramona Shelburne (@ramonashelburne) July 24, 2026

The latest update falls in line with how the Los Angeles Lakers view Bronny James, as the team reportedly doesn’t view the father and son as an inseparable package.

James informed the Lakers he would not return for the upcoming season in late June. The day prior, Bronny James’ $2.3 million contract became fully guaranteed. It appeared to be a calculated move, but there was speculation the younger James’ future with the Lakers wasn’t set in stone.

Staying in LA would give Bronny James the opportunity to glean from superstar Luka Doncic and other experienced NBA players. The 21-year-old’s performance in the NBA thus far has been modest, but his father’s departure could be an opportunity for him to blossom as a Laker.

---

Download The California Post App, follow us on social, and subscribe to our newsletters

Bronny James has been involved with the team, attending veteran minicamp earlier this month.

There’s still a path for Bronny James to follow his father to Philadelphia, but nothing seems imminent. For now, the guard is a Laker and will continue his career in Hollywood.

The Brooklyn Nets acquired three-time All-Star Julius Randle and the No. 28 overall pick (Joshua Jefferson) from the Minnesota Timberwolves in a multi-team deal for Nic Claxton and the No. 33 pick.

Nic Claxton is officially on his way out after holding the reins as the longest-tenured Brooklyn Net. The big man recently released a message thanking the fans and the organization for his seven seasons in New York. With his departure set, the focus shifts to the future — and what rookies Egor Dëmin and Mikel Brown Jr. will be working with on the floor.

Enter three-time All-Star and veteran leader Julius Randle. General Manager Sean Marks executed the deal to retool the frontcourt, bringing in Randle’s scoring and physical presence while converting the No. 28 pick into forward Joshua Jefferson, who the Nets are very high on.

---

How do Brooklyn Nets fans grade the trade for Julius Randle?

The grade ‘B’ takes a slight edge!

---

Fans Deadlocked Over Julius Randle-Nic Claxton Trade

The community sentiment ended in a near-exact 50/50 deadlock between ‘A’ and ‘B’ grades, reflecting a split between those eager for Randle’s veteran stardom and those weighing Claxton’s departure against missed draft opportunities.

Development or Stagnation?

• Comment: “We liked Claxton but never Loved him. Let’s be honest. He never developed; he never matured. He may have some of the most unwarranted and bizarre Technicals I have ever seen. Julius Randle is a flat-out Star and someone that’s going to play hard on both ends. I grew tired of never seeing 20 and 10 games from him. Claxton seemed to check out and give up on us. It won’t be easier in Chicago. PEACE!!!”
  • Reply: “From year one I was saying, he’s going to be a beast when he adds 20lbs of muscle. Kept saying that every year. Never happened.”
    
• Comment: “I give this trade an A for three reasons: 1. We got the best player in the deal 2. We give Sharpe a real shot at being the starter. 3. Randell is a better role model then Claxton. Claxton’s antics and quality of play last season were not a good showing for the team as young as the nets.”

---

Draft Assets and Trade Value

• Comment: “More low ambition nibbling around the edges from the Marks-Tsai clown show.”
  • Reply: “What would you like to have done instead? Nets got an all star caliber player for a guy that’s probably not a starter on a good team and a better pick. I guess Minny could’ve thrown in Ant”
    
• Comment“I woulda kept the 33rd pick, was still some good players on the board there like Meleek Thomas and Isiah Evans…”
  
• Comment: “B+, would’ve been A++ for a move up to snag Cenac or take Peat.”

---

Thanks to everybody who voted and/or participated.

This is a sponsored post. Check out the latest lines, futures, and player props by visiting FanDuel.

When Daryl Morey was fired by the Philadelphia 76ers back in May, fans weren’t quite sure what to expect in the organization’s search for its next top executive. When the Sixers hired Mike Gansey out of Cleveland a few weeks later, fans’ reaction was largely a half-nod, half-head tilt and an “OK, let’s see how this goes.”

The Cavaliers had made some decent draft picks and moves during Gansey’s tenure, but not a ton of home runs, and who knows what to attribute to somebody who isn’t at the top of the org chart. As a former D-1 player, he was undoubtedly a “basketball guy,” a dramatic swing from Daryl “Dork Elvis” Morey, like when a baseball team hires a player’s manager right after having a hard-nosed disciplinarian. It all seemed fine, but Gansey was largely a black box and no one really knew what to expect.

Well, we are less than two months into Gansey’s tenure, and the man has already orchestrated the greatest offseason in Philadelphia 76ers history. You never know with late-first-round rookies, obviously, but nabbing Labaron Philon with the 22nd overall pick looks like a good move so far. Then, Gansey nailed the smaller moves in free agency. Getting versatile forward Dean Wade on a four-year, $39 million deal looks tremendous compared to some of the other contracts being thrown around this summer. Likewise, signing Anfernee Simons for two years, $12.3 million is a steal on the margins.

Of course, alongside the singles and doubles, Gansey wasn’t afraid to swing for the fences and hit a home run. He turned Paul George, who at this time last year was considered one of the worst contracts in the league, into Jaylen Brown, without giving up the full war chest of draft capital. Brown certainly has some holes in his game, but he’s a player who won Finals MVP just two years ago, is still in his prime, and can soak up a ton of usage to alleviate the minutes and ball handling burden on the Sixers’ backcourt. His arrival immediately transformed the franchise from “at least they have a fun backcourt” to “we need to include the Sixers on the short list of contenders.”

That transformation set the stage for the final stroke in Mike Gansey’s offseason masterpiece: the signing of LeBron James. The greatest NBA player of his generation is going to suit up for the Philadelphia 76ers. Now, I’m not going to suggest Gansey is personally responsible for James coming. More than anyone else in the league, LeBron has his own personal agency over how things will unfold in his career. The Klutch connection with Tyrese Maxey played a large part, I’m sure. But you can’t deny Gansey and LeBron being friendly from their Mr. Ohio Basketball days playing some sort of role. And everything else Gansey did with this roster allowed LeBron to view himself as a final missing piece in potentially bringing a championship to Philadelphia. If he was going to set aside personal history with his childhood home in Cleveland or somewhere where he spent a lot of years in Miami, it had to be for basketball reasons. This roster allowed Gansey and Bob Myers and whoever else to make the “basketball reasons” case to LeBron. The Sixers team that get swept by the Knicks in May isn’t snagging King James.

Now, things might not go as well as we might hope. Joel Embiid is still a huge injury risk. LeBron will turn 42 years old in December. Jaylen Brown’s game might not mesh perfectly with Maxey and VJ Edgecombe.

But think about where we were a year ago, with the Sixers coming off a 24-58 season. Even two months ago, the Knicks series loss was very dispiriting, and we were having the whole “two timelines” debate. All that has ended. Jaylen Brown is a Sixer. LeBron James is a Sixer!!! In under two months, Mike Gansey has done a 180-degree vibes flip on this franchise. We are about to enter the most highly anticipated Sixers season of at least my lifetime and he is the man to thank.

The biggest question left in NBA free agency was answered on Friday with LeBron James joining the Sixers.

LeBron’s departure from LA was already known, but what does that mean for his son, current Lakers player Bronny James?

Throughout Bronny’s career, he has been linked to his Dad for every grand moment. Will the next move the Sixers make be a trade with the Lakers so the father-son duo can reunite?

Don’t count on it.

NBA insider Ramona Shelburne reports that Rich Paul, the agent for both Bronny and LeBron, says they are not a packaged deal. Currently, there are no plans for a reunion in Philly.

As for the impact of LeBron James’ decision on his son Bronny James, Rich Paul, the agent for both tells ESPN that "they are not a package deal" and there's no current plan or request for Bronny Janes to join his father in Philly. 

Bronny James recently had his contract…

— Ramona Shelburne (@ramonashelburne) July 24, 2026

Paul saying this so bluntly is certainly interesting. If things were leaning towards Bronny heading to the Sixers, he could have either said so or kept his thoughts to himself.

By Paul stating there is no current plan for a move and considering how late into free agency we are, it seems the most likely possibility then is Bronny remaining a Laker.

For those who have paid attention to Bronny’s career and not focused on narratives, this comes as no surprise.

The Lakers drafted Bronny and he’s gotten better over the last two seasons. A young talent like that doesn’t get moved unless there is a great deal in place.

Bronny has been one of the recent LA draft success stories, and considering they are pivoting towards youth and athleticism, he could be a valuable piece for the franchise moving forward. The Lakers seem to like the idea of keeping Bronny and, considering that his contract for this season is already guaranteed, that’s what’s going to happen unless a trade is executed.

Even after LeBron announced he was leaving LA, Bronny has remained engaged as a Laker. He was at the Las Vegas Summer League watching the Lakers play and participated in a veteran mini-camp.

While speaking at CNBC and Boardroom’s Game Plan Summit at Fanatics Fest, LeBron even referred to Bronny as his former teammate.

LeBron James discusses the family aspect of his decision with Rich Kleiman:

“I have a 22-year-old son who is now a former teammate of mine … which is hilarious” pic.twitter.com/l4X6DRRteN

— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) July 16, 2026

Plenty can still change between now and the start of the season, but so far all indications are that Bronny will be suiting up with the Lakers for his third season and LeBron will be starting Year No. 24 with the Sixers.

You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.

He is quietly becoming the face of the franchise if you measure Brooklyn Nets social media … and some of his own. Twenty-year-old Egor Demin didn’t just show his skills in Sacramento and Las Vegas. The Moscow native who played in Madrid and Provo, Utah before joining the Nets is proving to be a very likeable personality for the franchise to market. A bit charismatic too.

Other stars may come along and outshine him but at the moment, it’s him and fellow 20-year-old Mikel Brown Jr. who are showing up across social media.

Here’s the latest from the Egor Dëmin YouTube page … his review of Las Vegas on and off the court. Oh yeah, one other thing: At this rate, someone needs to ask Egor who advised him to get a low taper fade. His co-star in this video and teammate, Michael Porter Jr., would be our educated guess.

00:00 | Dutch Gaitley: “Egor: eight assists, zero turnovers.”

00:24 | Egor Dëmin: “Hey guys, we are in Vegas. It’s boiling out here. I’m about to get—what is it called, a heat stroke? Is that what it is? But it’s fun! What am I saying?”

00:39| Egor Demin: “I’m going to show you guys what is happening this week. Uh, we played the first game—well, we played two games already. I’m recording a couple of days later, but first game I played, it was amazing. I thought, you know, I was very excited to play again.”

00:54 | Egor Demin: “What was your favorite play? Probably Mikel’s pull-up three.”

01:04 | Egor Demin: “Mike, give me—give me two comments really quick. A comment about—about our first game in Vegas.”

01:08| Michael Porter Jr.: “Oh, my boy Egor was killing! He’s getting to the rack. Like a couple of those—a couple of times it looked like you could have dunked it on them dudes.”

01:15| Egor Demin: “I—I think I could! I had some mercy out there.”

01:18| Michael Porter Jr.: “Yeah, but no, he looks good. He told me a couple weeks ago, he was like, ‘I can’t shoot anymore.’ Well, every time I’ve seen him shoot the last few games, it’s cash, dog. So I’m excited to play with this dude this year. He’s going to—going to help lead us, you know what I’m saying?”

01:32| Egor Demin: “Appreciate it, man! Yeah, appreciate it. Good to see you, brother.”

01:35| Egor Demin: “I did feel like I can’t shoot anymore because I got—I got biceps now. And maybe I even can do this challenge with the egg that we did in the middle of the season with the—with the Nets. You remember right here, the one challenge I’m not going to be able to do, I don’t even have enough biceps…”

00:01:48 – 00:04:15 is a montage.

04:16| Egor Demin: “Okay, we are here at the studio right now and we about to record an episode for 2K with my guy Michael Porter Jr. It’s going to be fun.”

04:28| Egor Demin & Studio Staff: “Hello! Hello! Hello! Hello! Hello! Hello! Hello!”

04:33| Egor Demin: “I appreciate you guys. Yeah, for sure.”

00:04:35 – 00:05:05 is B-roll of NBA 2K scanning and video shoot with Michael Porter. Jr.

05:06| Egor Demin: “All right, guys. Thank you for watching a new episode. Can’t wait to show you guys my next side quest!”

---

Steve Kerr reportedly has told Warriors rookie Yaxel Lendeborg he ‘might start' originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The biggest criticism of Yaxel Lendeborg among fans and analysts has been his age. But after an impressive NBA Summer League stretch that ended with the rookie earning MVP honors and the Warriors winning the title, the dialogue has shifted to how much impact the 23-year-old forward will have his first season.

The former Michigan Wolverine reportedly even has said that Warriors coach Steve Kerr has told him there’s a possibility that he could be a part of the starting rotation when the 2026-27 NBA season starts, according to ESPN’s Anthony Slater.

“I asked him about his early conversations with Steve Kerr, and he mentioned, ‘Hey, you know, Steve has a history of not playing rookies,’ but basically said, you know, he’s different, and Steve Kerr’s already told him he might start,” Slater said on “NBA Today” on Thursday (h/t TheNBABase/X).

Warriors rookie Yaxel Lendeborg says Steve Kerr already told him he might start next season, per @anthonyVslater

"I asked him about his early conversations with Steve Kerr, and he mentioned, 'Hey, you know, Steve has a history of not playing rookies,' but basically said, you… pic.twitter.com/47olAb9WOn

— NBABase (@TheNBABase) July 23, 2026

Lendeborg had mentioned the potential to start as early as his introductory press conference – but that was prior to LeBron James announcing he wouldn’t return to the Los Angeles Lakers.

“The way that the team is looking now, I’m going to have a really good chance to play, and maybe even start,” Lendeborg told media members on June 26.

Yaxel Lendeborg on his early conversations with Steve Kerr: “He doesn’t normally play rookies as much. He has a history of that. But the way the team is looking right now, I’m going to have a really good chance to play, maybe even start.” pic.twitter.com/Vm1DXhkjUO

— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) June 26, 2026

While the Warriors were reportedly one of James’ top suitors, he ultimately decided on Friday to join the Philadelphia 76ers.

So, with that possibility now shot down – and Jimmy Butler likely out until around the NBA All-Star break — the Lendeborg for starter train could potentially gain even more steam.

The 6-foot-9 forward played six games for the Warriors in summer league and averaged 14.8 points, 6.8 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.5 steals in 28.3 minutes per game. He also shot 35.7 percent from 3-point range.

The Warriors may not have added LeBron to their starting five, but Lendeborg could be just the guy they need to round out their lineup.

Download and follow the Dubs Talk Podcast

Future NBA Hall of Famer LeBron James choosing the Philadelphia 76ers did more than shock the NBA. According to Dan Le Batard, it left people around the Miami Heat furious, confused and searching for an explanation.

Speaking on The Dan Le Batard Show, the longtime Miami broadcaster said he began receiving messages questioning how the 76ers convinced James to accept a two-year, $8 million contract—roughly half of what Miami was reportedly prepared to offer.

“The Heat are curious how it is that the Sixers did this,” Le Batard said, before suggesting Pablo Torre, famed investigative sports journalist, should start digging.

Then came the conspiracy theory.

Le Batard pointed toward Michael Rubin, the Fanatics CEO and former minority owner of the 76ers who remains close with Joel Embiid. Rubin sold his stake in Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment in 2022, citing potential conflicts involving Fanatics’ expanding business in merchandise, trading cards and sports betting.

Le Batard wondered aloud whether James’ arrival could provide enormous value surrounding a potential farewell tour. James was a key speaker at Fanatics Fest NYC earlier this month.

There is currently no reported evidence that Rubin or Fanatics provided James with any improper financial incentive. The theory was speculation, fueled largely by surprise that James accepted such a small contract and chose a team built around Embiid’s notoriously uncertain health.

Philadelphia’s official recruiting effort was extensive enough without any shadowy assistance.

ESPN reported that team president Mike Gansey remained in constant communication with James’ agent, Rich Paul, while Tyrese Maxey, Embiid and Jaylen Brown all contacted James directly. Maxey, who is also represented by Klutch Sports, reportedly played a particularly aggressive role.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro even joined the sales pitch after encountering James at a private New York club.

The lobbying worked. James chose Philadelphia over Miami, Cleveland, Golden State and Minnesota, giving the Sixers a loaded core featuring Maxey, Brown, Embiid and V.J. Edgecombe.

Miami apparently wants to know the exact details about how Philadelphia ultimately closed the deal.

Le Batard has supplied one very dramatic possibility.

Whether there is anything behind it—or it is simply South Florida struggling to accept rejection—is another matter.

The Houston Rockets continue to fill out their roster before the start of the 2026-2027 NBA season, as it was announced today that they have signed free agent forward/center Oscar Tshiebwe.

OFFICIAL: The Rockets today announced they have signed free agent forward/center Oscar Tshiebwe.
 
He spent his rookie season as a two-way player with Indiana in 2023-24 and the past two seasons on a two-way contract with Utah. In 49 career games with seven starts, Tshiebwe has… pic.twitter.com/jz1aHvRQNe

— Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) July 24, 2026

The 6’8” big man from the Congo went to high school in Pennsylvania and was a four-star recruit heading into college. He played for both West Virginia University and later Kentucky, where he was named the Sporting News National Player of the Year and the Southeastern Conference Player of the Year in 2022.

He went undrafted but later signed two-way deals with the Indiana Pacers and Utah Jazz. His best season in the NBA came in the 2024-2025 season, when he averaged 7.6 points and 8.7 boards in 18.2 minutes per night for Utah.

He’s also been a monster in the G League, averaging 15.4 points and 17.3 rebounds across 64 G League games. Those are some serious rebounding numbers at that level.

He’s obviously great on the boards, fitting in the Ime Udoka mold, as well as a rugged defender and a strong inside finisher, however, he is more of a traditional big man than a modern one, in that he doesn’t shoot threes and has limited switching ability onto perimeter players.

The terms of Tshiebwe’s contract have not yet been released, but it could be a two-way or exhibit 10, which gives the Rockets the chance to convert his contract to a standard one.

And it seems that he could be on board as Steven Adams insurance. Adams was Houston’s best rebounder last season and one of the keys to their second-chance offensive philosophy (if you can call it that), and when he went down, the team suffered in multiple ways. And then it appeared that Clint Capela was no longer able to fill that role for an extended period. Tshiebwe could also be a replacement for Clint Capela. Now Capela signed a three-year, fully-guaranteed deal before last season, but the team could include him in trade talks if they are looking to move on from Capela.

Either way, this player is an Ime guy through and through, and I’ll let you all decided if that is a good thing or a bad thing. Welcome aboard.