Category: Basketball

Charles Barkley, a legendary 76er, believes LeBron James still has time to supplant Michael Jordan as basketball’s GOAT.

Barkley — who recently repaired his relationship with Jordan — has believed the Bulls icon has been the greatest of all time. But he now believes James has one final opportunity to change that conversation, but it will take a lot.

Barkley told Stephen A. Smith on Friday that if the 76ers win two titles in James’ two years in Philadelphia — that’s if he opts in to the second — after agreeing to a contract Friday, it would solidify his GOAT case.

“If he wins back-to-back championships and walks away this thing at 44, 45. I’ll say something I ain’t never said before. This dude, I think I just saw the greatest basketball player ever,” Barkley told Smith.

Though Barkley did mention that James has provided himself advantages with “stacking the deck” throughout his career when joining talented teams.

“The number one knock on LeBron for older guys like myself has always been, ‘Yo, man, you always stacking your team,'” Barkley said. “He stacked in Miami. He stacked in Cleveland. He stacked in LA. Now he’s stacking it in Philly. So that to me, I’m going to still have the same criticism I’ve always had.”

The comments came just hours after James officially announced he was signing with the 76ers on a two-year, $8 million contract, calling it the final decision of his Hall of Fame career.

Rather than retire after 23 NBA seasons, the four-time MVP chose one last championship pursuit with a franchise that has not won a title since 1983.

For Barkley, the significance goes beyond simply winning another ring.

James already owns four championships with three different organizations, capturing titles with the Heat, Cavaliers and Lakers, and winning a title with the 76ers would only add to his Hall of Fame resume.

Philadelphia has assembled one of the NBA’s most talented rosters during a blockbuster offseason.

The franchise first stunned the league by acquiring four-time All-Star Jaylen Brown from the Boston Celtics, pairing one of basketball’s premier two-way wings with former MVP Joel Embiid and All-Star guard Tyrese Maxey.

Guard V.J. Edgecombe also gives Philly another high-upside piece as the organization pushes all-in for a championship, fresh off Rookie of the Year contention.

The Utah Jazz came out of the 2026 NBA Draft on the verge of a breakout season. All that was left for the Jazz was to re-sign Walker Kessler. It felt like it was an inevitability until the news that the Lakers agreed to give the Jazz every asset they had to bring Walker Kessler to LA. That left the Jazz with a question mark at center that they probably didn’t expect.

The question for the Jazz and Jazz fans became: what should they do about the center position? They signed Jusuf Nurkic to a two-year contract and signed Jaxson Hayes and Mo Bamba, but those don’t feel like long-term solutions. Knowing that they don’t have a long-term solution at center, do you make a trade now, or wait? Here’s what Jazz fans think:

So, according to a slight majority of Jazz fans, the Jazz should keep the center rotation the same. It does make sense. Jusuf Nurkic revitalized his career last season and played at a league-average level (according to Dunks and Threes). That 2-year, $22M contract is very affordable. The other thing to consider with this is that Utah isn’t desperate to make a move. They can wait until the right opportunity, at the right cost, comes up. Maybe that happens this season? Maybe they wait till the draft next year? Either way, they can wait to make a move.

According to FanDuel, they might not think Utah is going to make a move because they have Utah’s over/under of wins at 36.5. What do you think? Does Utah win more than 36.5 wins? Or would they need to upgrade at center to do that?

LeBron James has returned to the Eastern Conference with his decision to join the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday, July 24.

James spent the first 15 years of his career in the Eastern Conference, before spending the last eight years in the Western Conference with the Los Angeles Lakers.

While playing in the Eastern Conference, James created several key rivals, including the Boston Celtics.

James could make his debut in a 76ers uniform against the Celtics, with Philadelphia having a pair of preseason games scheduled against Boston.

More: 7 biggest winners and losers from LeBron James joining the 76ers

The 76ers will play a preseason game in Boston against the Celtics on Saturday, Oct. 10. The Celtics will travel to Philadelphia for a game on Friday, Oct. 16.

James' status for the games at this point remains uncertain and it's worth nothing the games against the Celtics are the Sixers' only scheduled preseason contests at present. The Lakers have five preseason games on their docket, for point of comparison, so it's possible more Sixers preseason games could come into focus later this summer.

This time, the 76ers opted for a different type of process — and its effectiveness will directly impact the Knicks’ quest to repeat after snapping their 53-year drought. 

This — the current roster assembled after LeBron James signed in Philadelphia on a two-year, $8 million deal with a player option Friday — is far from the draft-and-develop philosophy that Sam Hinkie once used more than a decade ago. Instead, new president of basketball operations Mike Gansey banked on an approach that requires microwaving chemistry, collecting superstars and hoping, in a small window, that a title follows.

If it works, that has the potential to make the Knicks’ path back to the NBA Finals complicated, too. 

Because on paper, at least, the 76ers now resemble a significant obstacle. James has established himself as one of the greatest players in NBA history, winning titles with the Cavaliers, Heat and Lakers over a 23-year career. At 41 years old, and 42 on Dec. 30, he called this his “last decision” in a series of X posts Friday.

The 76ers also added former Celtics star Jaylen Brown — capable of being the primary scorer for an offense — in a blockbuster trade earlier this month, and they already had Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and V.J. Edgecombe on their roster, too. 

Embiid, a former MVP who has been limited to 57 regular-season games the last two years because of injuries, can still be a primary scorer when healthy. He dropped 40 points against the Pelicans in a Jan. 31 game and recorded 30 or more points 14 times across 38 regular-season games in 2025-26. Maxey blossomed into a star at just 25 years old, and last year, with Embiid in and out of the lineup, averaged 21.4 shots per game.

And Edgecombe finished third in Rookie of the Year voting, flashed his potential against the Knicks during his first taste of the postseason in May and is seemingly set to start alongside this collection of established stars. 

“I’m not going for money,” James wrote on X. “I’m not going for family. What am I really playing for at this point? I still want to sacrifice. I still want to work. I still want to grind. I still want to compete, to win and to have a chance at the feeling of winning another championship. 

“I believe I can help make the Philadelphia 76ers a championship team and I am so excited to energize a new fan base and start this incredible journey one last time.” 

This will be a finite window for the 76ers, but when the Knicks and 76ers meet for the first time next season, Philadelphia will be far from the same team that the Knicks swept in the second round of the 2026 playoffs. That 76ers group had Paul George and Kelly Oubre Jr. in the starting lineup. That version had Quentin Grimes as a critical piece off the bench.

How will head coach Nick Nurse find ways to get everyone enough chances? Who will take the final shot in a tied playoff game? Is James content with ceding the spotlight, and some shots, to Philadelphia’s younger stars? 

The Knicks, largely, will look the same — and that was by design. Their starting lineup of Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby and Josh Hart all meshed perfectly once the playoffs arrived and will enter with two full seasons worth of chemistry. Key reserves, from Landry Shamet and Jordan Clarkson to Jose Alvarado and Miles McBride, all returned, too. The only key piece lost was Mitchell Robinson, who signed with the Celtics after owner James Dolan demanded that the Knicks stay under the second apron. 

Sure, there was the scenario where James could have returned to the Cavaliers and paired with Donovan Mitchell. Cleveland doesn’t have the same supporting cast, though, and folded against the Knicks in the Eastern Conference finals after a Game 1 collapse. Sure, there was a scenario where James could’ve returned to Miami, too, and paired with Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo. That might’ve been the worst-case outcome for the Knicks. 

This one still could be a headache for Mike Brown’s team, too. Plenty of it depends on Embiid’s health. On James still having enough left with retirement front of mind. On all those other Eastern Conference contenders — the Heat, the Cavaliers, the Celtics with a healthy Jayson Tatum, the Pacers with a healthy Tyrese Haliburton, the Pistons and the up-and-coming Magic — finding some way to fade. 

With one announcement late Friday morning, the 76ers might have become the Knicks’ most difficult roadblock. Emphasis on might.

Peyton Watson remains an unsigned restricted free agent. The Milwaukee Bucks remain in need of a defensive stopper on the wing. And with news that the Bucks have been linked to Watson, exploring avenues for them to acquire Watson was a natural progression.

Of course, as noted, gaining Watson’s services wouldn’t be easy. For one, the Denver Nuggets’ cap situation is, well, complicated. But the Bucks have ways to get around this, namely through their replenished stock of draft capital and the $25.5m trade exception created in the Giannis trade, which is around the mark that Watson appears to be after.

“Peyton Watson and his camp want something in that $28 million north range and the offers so far have been fluctuating between that $20-24 million per year range… When you’re Peyton Watson, you want more than Christian Braun.”

– @BrettSiegelNBA 👀

(via “Clutch Scoops”) pic.twitter.com/sQA2D4lr5e

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) July 23, 2026

However, with the Nuggets looking to compete behind arguably the best player in the league, Nikola Jokic, logic would have it that acquiring a ready-made player on a team-friendly contract would be a better option. Thus, we gauged your interest on a potential Ryan Rollins for Peyton Watson sign-and-trade. The majority of fans (57%) said no, with 30% hanging up the phone and 27% tempted but ultimately unconvinced.

As always, there was wisdom behind the rejections.

naveed2000s: I want Watson, but I’d toss multiple future picks at him before I’d toss in Rollins, personally. This era is about getting good young players and building with them. We know Rollins is good, whether he’s peaked or not. Let’s not get crazy in the first offseason of doing this.

Pono: Why would you trade the most rapidly improving player in the league, a guy who wants to be in Milwaukee and has the versatility to adjust his role as the rebuild takes shape? Can’t we just have nice things? Plus, Rollins will be in line for a big contract in ‘27 that Denver cannot afford so he has little value to them as a 1 year rental.

Although the majority of fans disagreed with a Rollins for Watson swap, 43% thought it made sense. They had their reasons too.

Mitchell Maurer: Peyton Watson . . . is a big, young wing who can both score and defend, and is only available because he’s a strain on Denver’s cap sheet. Players like Watson are always in demand and always hard to acquire as a result, so why wouldn’t the Bucks entertain the prospect?

Nicknackpattywack: Joker was out a total of 15 games last season. Watson averaged 22.1 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game. He also shot 50.5% from the field and 45.7% from three-point range during those stretches.

In all, it seems Rollins is safe—at least as far as fans are concerned. But what does the Bucks’ brass think? Now that LeBron James has finally made his decision, perhaps free agency will ramp back up again and we’ll get an answer on Watson too.

Check out FanDuel, the official sportsbook of SB Nation.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro is celebrating his state’s big win in landing LeBron James.

But a week before, he was apparently on the campaign trail in his attempt to lay the groundwork in his hopes of getting the future Hall of Famer to choose the 76ers.

Last week, James, who was in New York City for Fanatics Fest, was having dinner at the private membership club, ZZ’s Club, where Bill and Hillary Clinton happened to be dining with Shapiro, according to Puck News.

James went up to the former president and secretary of state before Shapiro, an avid sports fan, chimed in and made his pitch to get the 22-time All-Star to the 76ers, Puck reported.

Whether or not that moment last week made a difference is unclear, but James agreed to a two-year, $8 million contract with Philadelphia to make the 76ers one of the Eastern Conference’s most formidable teams.

Shortly after the news broke Friday morning, the Democratic head of Pennsylvania took to social media to celebrate and declare July 24 as LeBron James Day.

“LEBRON IS COMING TO PHILLY,” Shapiro wrote on X. “By the power vested in the me as the Governor of the great Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and a die-hard Sixers fan… I hereby proclaim today to be LEBRON JAMES DAY. Welcome to the City of Brotherly Love, @KingJames.”

James, in his own thread on X, said this decision had nothing to do with money.

The deal with the 76ers — choosing them over rumored contenders, including the Heat and the Warriors — was all about putting him in the best position to win another NBA title.

“I still want to sacrifice. I still want to work. I still want to grind. I still want to compete, to win and to have a chance at the feeling of winning another championship,” James wrote. “I believe I can help make the Philadelphia 76ers a championship team and I am so excited to energize a new fan base and start this incredible journey one last time.”

The 76ers last won an NBA championship in 1983, so if James can get them over the hump, there could be another celebration in his honor in another 11 months.

For the third time in his illustrious career, LeBron James ripped the hearts out of Cleveland Cavaliers fans everywhere. This time is undoubtedly worse than in 2018 when he left for Los Angeles, which seemed expected. But James was saying and doing the things one would expect of someone making their way back to where it all began, a sentimental return to make even the coldest NBA hearts melt just a little. 

[Insert fart noise here]

The Cavs waited patiently, or maybe impatiently behind the scenes, for James to decide what to do with his NBA career. They watched Dean Wade, a stout wing defender, leave for the Philadelphia 76ers (an omen of things to come, apparently). Keon Ellis, whom many around the league thought was a sneaky-good get last year, went to the Brooklyn Nets. Cleveland has not signed or traded for anyone new, with their only acquisitions being a second-round draft pick. James Harden is still a free agent, and the Cavs have the inside track on re-signing him. 

But the thunderous collapse of plaster and concrete around them is LeBron James with the rejection, signing with the Sixers on a deal similar in length and dollar amount to De’Andre Jordan. It was a catastrophic blow to the Cavs’ otherwise silent offseason. 

Now the pivot is on, and the options are bleak. 

Jonathan Kuminga is a perennial “what-if” prospect who has clashed with coaches and had trouble staying healthy, but he would certainly help. Max Strus and Dennis Schroder are reportedly still available via trade, though the Cavs may have to keep them now. There are trades out there, there always are, but the NBA’s business for the summer is mostly done. The Cavs gambled that they were getting James, and bet wrong. 

Normally, a team that makes the Conference Finals running it back is fine. But these Cavs are not fine, nor were they dispatched in a way that makes you think they are close to the NBA Finals. In fact, they may not be a top-four seed in the Eastern Conference. The star power in the starting lineup will win them a lot of games, but their ceiling is certainly capped come playoff time, barring a dramatic acquisition or internal improvement from Evan Mobley.

Meanwhile, James’ Sixers move to the top of the conference. The New York Knicks just won a championship. The Boston Celtics still have Jayson Tatum and find ways to win games. The Toronto Raptors are still probably getting Kawhi Leonard. Down in South Beach, Giannis Antetokounmpo is motivated with a better roster around him. We haven’t even gotten to the Detroit Pistons — who were the top seed in the East last year — or the Atlanta Hawks —who won more games against the Knicks in the playoffs last season than anyone else.

The Cavs have the talent to be a top-three seed in the East, if everything goes according to plan. They are also teetering toward being unequivocally broken, gutted at losing out on a player they desperately needed not only on the court but in the locker room. The players certainly will not admit that, but this is a team that now needs to do the one thing that has been terrible at for years: overcoming adversity. 

Blowing up teams is not as lucrative as it used to be. The Cavs cannot simply hit the eject button and wind up with a ton of first-round picks and young prospects for their top-end players. Jaylen Brown, an NBA Finals MVP and MVP candidate last season, was traded for the decaying corpse of Paul George and some subpar first-round picks. This is a different landscape for transactions. 

If you want something positive, the Cavs have locked up Donovan Mitchell for the long-haul with a contract extension. He is their bona fide star, the 1A to lean on and build around. Mobley is still young. Jarrett Allen is a bargain for what his contract is. Jaylon Tyson has some promise. Their cap sheet is a little cleaner than it was a few months ago. Cleveland should be a playoff team, but they have missed a lot of “shoulds” over the last few years. That heartburn still persists. 

The Cavs probably thought they “should” have landed James. Their offseason of inaction lends me to believe that they expected a better outcome, clearing the deck for the return of the King. Now they have to pick up the pieces and move on, pushing forward in a way they have never had to do before. This is the type of motivation that should be the kindling to stoke their internal fires, hitting that extra gear to prove to themselves that they didn’t need James and the circus to come to town. 

Let’s hope they don’t miss that “should” next season. 

Adam Schefter was sold a lemon.

That’s what LeBron James’ agent and business partner, Rich Paul, said in the aftermath of the arguably greatest basketball player of all time joining the 76ers on Friday.

Schefter, a longtime NFL insider who has dabbled in NBA reporting over the years, said to 97.5 The Fanatic in Philadelphia earlier this week that James was likely heading to Miami, where he played from 2010 through 2014, winning two championships.

“My guess would be where there’s smoke there’s fire,” Schefter said on the program. “I got a text, literally, I could go back to the date. I think it was June 30th, and said, ‘Just be ready for LeBron to go to Miami.'”

NBA free agency began June 30.

Schefter added, “That was the text I got way back when, first day. And we’ll see if it holds up and it turns out to be true.”

Well, it wasn’t.

Paul recorded a Friday episode for his show “Game Over” on The Ringer, which is also co-hosted by Max Kellerman.

“All the speculation, as you could see, was so far left,” Paul noted on the show, while acknowledging how much fun the process was. “I felt bad for my guy Adam Schefter; somebody sold him a lemon.

“It’s just one of those things.”

James agreed to a two-year deal worth $8 million Friday, with the second year being a player option as the future Hall of Famer will maintain flexibility following this season.

James joins a starting five that will likely include former NBA Finals MVP Jaylen Brown, two-time All-Star Tyrese Maxey, former league MVP Joel Embiid and Rookie of the Year finalist VJ Edgecombe.

Paul, via Klutch Sports, also represents Maxey.

The 76ers have already been joined Knicks territory as far as being Eastern Conference championship favorites across the sportsbooks.

However, both teams trail the Thunder and Spurs as the title favorites heading into next season.

LeBron James has announced his decision for the final chapter of his longstanding career.

James is expected to sign a two-year deal with the Philadelphia 76ers and play alongside Jaylen Brown, Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey in an effort to win the 76ers' first NBA championship since 1983, when the roster included Moses Malone, Julius Erving and Maurice Cheeks. 

The 76ers swept Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson and the Los Angeles Lakers in four straight games that year.

Here's what we know about James' first potential press conference in Philadelphia:

More: 7 biggest winners and losers from LeBron James joining the 76ers

The LeBron James sweepstakes have concluded. On Friday morning, the NBA’s all-time scoring leader and 22-time All-Star announced that his next — and almost certainly last — chapter will take place on the East Coast, where he’ll team with Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid, Jaylen Brown, V.J. Edgecombe, and the Philadelphia 76ers.

It’s no secret that the Golden State Warriors were holding out hope that James would join his close friend (Draymond Green), a superstar he reveres (Steph Curry), and a coach he deeply respects (Steve Kerr). It never seemed like a very likely option, but it was one worth chasing. In the end, however, he chose elsewhere, leaving the Warriors scrambling to fill out their roster.

In the time between James announcing his plans to leave the Los Angeles Lakers and choosing a new team, the vast majority of the league’s free agents signed elsewhere, leaving limited options for the Dubs. They have to add at least one more player (in addition to re-signing Green, who opted out to provide the team extra fiscal flexibility as they chased James).

So who might that be? Here are some of the best options.

DeMar DeRozan

My guess is that, with James off the board, DeRozan has moved to the top of the board for the Warriors. On the one hand, he’s not a great fit with Golden State: he doesn’t shoot threes, he’s not exactly known for his ball movement, he’s not the biggest fan of defense, and he’s firmly and loudly on the opposite side as Curry in the Drake vs. Kendrick Lamar beef (DeRozan, I should add, is on the right side).

On the other hand, he might be just what the Warriors need, especially with Jimmy Butler III out. DeRozan is still a certified bucket getter. Even in a down year last season, he still averaged 18.4 points per game and shot nearly 50% from the field. He’s exactly what the Warriors need when Curry is on the bench or taking a night off: the type of player you can give the ball to, clear out, and ask him to go get a bucket. He has the aggressive mentality that has helped Butler shine on the Warriors, and draws free throws at a high rate.

For all their flaws last year, the Warriors biggest issue was simply that they didn’t have enough people who can get a bucket. DeRozan, who will be affordable after being bought out by the Sacramento Kings, can help fix that.

Bradley Beal

As a pure basketball player, Beal fits better than DeRozan. While also an isolation scorer, his style is catered to what the Warriors do more than DDR’s. He’s a career 37.6% shooter from deep, including 40.7% in his last two healthy seasons. But he’s a worse fit on the Warriors for the simple reason that he’s even less interested in defense than DeRozan, and has played 202 games over the last five seasons, compared to 383 for DeRozan. If the Warriors are going to stick with older veterans, they’d be smart to go for durable ones, and DeRozan is a remarkably durable player. But if he’s off the board, Beal has a lot of skills that would fit.

Lonzo Ball

The Warriors were tied to Ball at the buyout deadline last year, before ultimately going in a different direction. I’ll say this much: they can’t just get Ball. He’s one of the most injury-prone players in the NBA: he played 35 games last year, 35 games the year before, and 35 games three years prior, with two missed seasons in between. 105 games over five years is not what an aging and injure Warriors team needs.

They can’t rely on Ball, but they sure can take a flyer on him. Ball’s favorite things are moving the rock quickly, and playing defense. And despite the ugly aesthetics of it, his three-point shot is fairly reliable. Is it any surprise that Kerr wants him on his team?

Chris Boucher

Reunion, anyone? Boucher began his career on the Warriors, logging exactly one minute in the 2017-18 championship season. He then went on to have a very successful career with the Toronto Raptors, which included beating the Warriors in the NBA Finals the next year.

Things changed this year, as he signed with the Boston Celtics, struggled with performance and injuries, played just nine games, was traded to the Utah Jazz, and was waived. But just two years ago he averaged 21.0 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 1.0 blocks per 36 minutes, and he plays solid defense. He’s the type of big man who could play alongside any of Golden State’s frontcourt players.

Amir Coffey

Want a flyer? Here’s your guy. Coffey has been pretty darn bad for a few years, but he’s a career 38.2% shooter from deep with good size and athleticism. The Warriors could use more large wings while they await the return of Butler and Moses Moody. Here’s one … he just needs work.

Kevin Love

Sorry, are Al Horford and Kristaps Porziņģis not filling your need for aging, often-injured, floor-stretching bigs? Then how about Love? Somehow he’s still playing, and somehow he’s also still playing well. He shot 37.3% on threes last year and grabbed 12.6 rebounds per 36 minutes. He can still throw a mean outlet pass, and is a great playmaker from the elbow, which the Warriors really utilized when Andrew Bogut was around. Plus, between he and Horford, it’s basically like having one healthy, reliable player!

Bennedict Mathurin

Mathurin doesn’t have the resumé or consistency of DeRozan or Beal, but the dude can get on a heater and score. He’s not the best shooter, but he can get to the rim, he draws free throws, and he’s a reliable 15 points every night. The Warriors need that in some form and fashion, especially until Butler returns. Golden State would be a great landing spot for Mathurin, where he could rebuild his value a little bit before entering free agency again next year.

Gary Payton II

Look, getting the entire band back together isn’t the best idea, but Payton does fit well in the Warriors system. He’s an elite perimeter defender, can bother forwards, rebounds like someone a foot taller than he is, and is a tremendous off-ball cutter. The Warriors need to make some improvements, but Payton is better than a lot of the players on this list.

Mario Hezonja

The Dubs have been tied to Hezonja, who hasn’t played in the NBA since 2019-20. He’s been playing overseas since then, and has been phenomenal for Real Madrid, with a whole lot of hardware being handed out in his direction. How will that translate back to the NBA? We may soon find out.

Jonathan Kuminga

Just making sure you’re paying attention.

Report: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope intends to sign with Sixers, join James again originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

LeBron James’ signing won’t be the final move of the Sixers’ offseason.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is negotiating a contract buyout with the Grizzlies and “intends to team back up” with James, Chris Haynes reported late Friday night.

Caldwell-Pope had exercised his $21.6 million player option last month. It’s not yet known how the Sixers will create the necessary roster space to add him and James.

The 33-year-old Caldwell-Pope has won NBA championships on the 2019-20 Lakers (with James) and on the 2022-23 Nuggets. He’s a 6-foot-5 shooting guard with a longstanding 3-and-D reputation who averaged 8.4 points, 2.7 assists and 2.5 rebounds for Memphis last year in 21.3 minutes per game. Caldwell-Pope’s 31.6 percent mark from three-point range was his worst since the 2015-16 season.

He underwent season-ending surgery in February to address a right pinkie finger injury. The Grizzlies said at the time that Caldwell-Pope was expected to fully recover and be available for the start of the 2026-27 season.

James and Jaylen Brown have been the Sixers’ summer headliners, but president of basketball operations Mike Gansey has also picked up a variety of role players like forward Dean Wade, combo guard Anfernee Simons and center Ariel Hukporti. The latest is reportedly a familiar face for James. 

LeBron James stunned the basketball world with his decision to sign with the Philadelphia 76ers.

Of the final four suitors in the free agent sweepstakes, Cleveland and Miami seemed like the most probable landing spots for James. But the NBA’s all-time leading scorer shocked just about everyone with his two-year, $8 million deal with the 76ers.

Several former and current NBA stars reacted to the biggest NBA news of the summer.

Chris Bosh, a former championship teammate, was just as shocked as everyone else to learn of James’ final decision.

“Man, I didn’t see this one coming,” Bosh said in a video posted to his Instagram.

“I didn’t think he was gonna go to Philly, the weather and being cold. I was joking around that the old folks go to Miami and stuff like that. I guess not. The old guys still compete for championships, that’s what it’s about.

“This team is loaded. It was already pretty loaded. Now, I think this takes the Sixers overtop, not only as the favorites to win the NBA championship for next year but maybe for the next couple of years.”

On the Cousins podcast, Vince Carter didn’t mince words about James going to Philadelphia.

“That’s cheating,” Carter said jokingly, “because he doesn’t have to do much and still be him. Now your fifth starter has to guard one of those guys.”

Former Lakers teammate Danny Green was also stunned to hear James chose to sign a deal with the 76ers.

“I was like this can’t be real news, Shams is somebody hacking you, this can’t be real news, you know what I’m saying? Two-years, $8 million to Philly none of that was in the cards for me. So, yeah it was shocking, just as shocking as the Jaylen Brown news probably for me.”

There was also an unnamed former Lakers teammate of the 41-year-old, who told The Athletic he recalled James discussing how seriously he considered signing with the 76ers in 2018 before joining the Lakers.

Even Charles Barkley didn’t hold back in his reaction to James’ decision, going as far to say the four-time NBA champion stacks his team.

“The number one knock on LeBron for older guys like myself has always been, yo, man, you always stacking your team. He stacked it in Miami. He stacked it in Cleveland. He stacked it in LA. Now he’s stacking it in Philly. So that to me, I’m going to still have the same criticism I’ve always had,” Barkley said on The Stephen A. Smith Show.

Other athletes also weighed in on James heading east, especially those playing in Philadelphia.

Eagles star Saquon Barkley welcomed the NBA superstar via social media: “Welcome to the city? Let me know when you tryna tee it up @KingJames. “

Phillies star Bryce Harper, who made a free agency pitch to James last week, heaped high praise for the city and the imminent arrival of James.

“It’s obviously a great city to come play in, fanbase-wise, sports-wise. Feel like the city is in a really good spot with all the teams right now. Just a really good spot to be in,” Harper said.

Despite being the oldest active player in the NBA, James’ influence evidently spreads far and wide. Now, he’ll take his talents to the City of Brotherly Love.

The City of Bron-erly Love has welcomed a new superstar.

The basketball world was holding their breath all summer until Friday, July 24 when LeBron James announced that he is joining the Philadelphia 76ers.

The four-time NBA champion and league's all-time leading scorer was reportedly deciding between Philadelphia, joining Stephen Curry on the Golden State Warriors, a return to the Miami Heat or a comeback to his hometown team, the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Besides the sports world expressing their excitement, Philadelphia rejoiced at the news. The future Hall of Famer will join former NBA MVP Joel Embiid and 2024 NBA Finals champion Jaylen Brown, who was shockingly traded from the Boston Celtics earlier in the month.

More: 7 biggest winners and losers from LeBron James joining the 76ers

Vince Carter thinks the 76ers with LeBron James are going to be stacked.

The 76ers and LeBron James agreed Friday to the NBA’s veteran minimum on a two-year deal, capping off a major overhaul to their roster this offseason.

“That’s cheating,” Carter said one day before James was added by Philly on the show “Cousins with Vince Carter & Tracy McGrady.”

Carter clarified by saying, “That’s cheating if he goes there, because he doesn’t have to do much to still be him.”

Carter noted that the 76ers are loaded on a roster that will include Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid, Jaylen Brown and V.J. Edgecombe.

Philadelphia also added Labaron Philon Jr. at No. 22 overall in the draft while also bringing in Dean Wade, Anfernee Simons, and former Knicks center Ariel Hukporti.

The 76ers are also expected to bring back Adem Bona, Dominick Barlow, Dalen Terry, Johni Broome and Justin Edwards, who will provide depth on the roster.

Instead of asking the 41-year-old James to carry a franchise, Philadelphia can deploy him alongside Embiid, Brown, Maxey and Edgecombe.

James averaged 20.9 points, 7.2 assists and 6.1 rebounds last season with the Lakers, proving he’s still an All-Star-caliber player in production, not just in name.

James was also the Lakers’ most effective player in the playoffs last season, averaging 23.2 points, 7.3 assists and 6.7 rebounds, leading Los Angeles to a Round 2 appearance, where they were without Luka Doncic and had Austin Reaves for six of 10 games.

The Sixers now feature one of the NBA’s deepest collections of proven talent, with a former MVP center in Embiid, one of the league’s fastest young guards in Maxey, an All-NBA-caliber wing in Brown and arguably the greatest player in league history in James.

The 76ers have immediately been bet up to being one of the favorites in the Eastern Conference, along with the Knicks.

Although the 76ers will likely not have James and Embiid for portions of the season due to expected injury management and possible actual ailments, given James’ age and Embiid’s history.

James missed 22 games last season, while Embiid hasn’t played at least 40 regular-season games since 2022-23 and has often faced injuries during the playoffs, as he did this past spring.

The NBA spent all summer waiting on LeBron James’ free agency decision, and the scoop went to a trading card company.

News of James’ two-year agreement with the 76ers was printed on cardboard and posted by the Topps social media team in conjunction with James in a collaborative Instagram post before any reporter or even the league could get their hands on the information.

ESPN’s Shams Charania was beaten to the punch when James’ free agency decision was released on social media, first posted by Topps trading cards at 11:30 a.m. ET and in tandem with James’ X account post where he gave a sentimental message to his fans.

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Topps had this announcement nearly a full minute ahead of Charania, who posted on X that James was taking his talents to Broad Street.

Multiple league sources confirm that the NBA was blindsided by this type of announcement, as Topps posted what appeared to be an already-autographed one-of-one trading card — perhaps signaling that this was in the works for some time.

The card itself that appears on the Instagram post is a real one that exists, but it is not yet autographed, sources with knowledge of the situation told The Post.

The source added that the image has been digitally modified to show what his autograph will look like on the card, and the actual signature on the card will be done in the coming days.

The NBA did not respond to The Post’s request for comment, and no league entities had posted anything on social media regarding James agreeing to sign with the 76ers for a league minimum contract with a player option for a second year.

NBA social media handles, as well as the 76ers’ accounts, have been radio silent, despite the bombshell news that has spread like wildfire.

James spent last weekend at the Jacob Javits Center for Fanatics Fest, an event that is put on by the Michael Rubin-owned company Fanatics.

Fanatics purchased Topps trading cards in 2022 for $500 million.

While at Fanatics Fest, James dropped a hint that he could be joining the 76ers, telling fans during a live recording of his “Mind The Game” podcast that he wants a team that will “trust the process,” a famous slogan of the 76ers.

Rubin and James recently crossed paths at Rubin’s private luncheon at the 40/40 club in New York City, Page Six reported last week — perhaps leading to this planned announcement between James and Topps.