Category: Sports News

The Philadelphia 76ers have confirmed the signing of NBA superstar LeBron James.

James announced on Friday that he was joining the 76ers next season for what he says will be his final contract in the NBA.

The 41-year-old, the highest points scorer in the history of the league, left the Los Angeles Lakers after eight years last month.

"I am thrilled to welcome LeBron James to the Philadelphia 76ers," ownership managing partner Josh Harris said in a statement.

"One of the greatest players in NBA history and one of the best athletes ever, his accomplishments are iconic.

"I cannot wait to see LeBron alongside Jaylen Brown, VJ Edgecombe, Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and our talented roster as we work to deliver a championship for Philly."

The Cleveland Cavaliers, Golden State Warriors, Minnesota Timberwolves and Miami Heat were also rumoured to be in the running for the four-time NBA champion.

"I believe I can help make the Philadelphia 76ers a championship team and I am so excited to energise a new fanbase and start this incredible journey one last time," James said on X on Friday.

James has won an NBA title with all three teams he previously played for. He won two with Miami, who earlier this week mistakenly posted a link to an 'introductory press conference' for James.

A Heat spokesperson told Reuters the video was posted in error by staff who were preparing for the possibility of James rejoining the team he played for between 2010 and 2014.

Either side of that Miami stint, James had two spells with Cleveland, who drafted James in 2003 and are based near his hometown of Akron, Ohio.

"Miami I'll forever love and Northeast Ohio will always [be] home," James added.

James helped the Cavs become NBA champions in 2016 and joined the Lakers in 2018, claiming another NBA title two years later.

He has been named the NBA's Most Valuable Player four times, all between 2009 and 2013, and has been an NBA All-Star the last 22 seasons running.

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Why does James want to keep playing?

James said after last season that he was "pretty sure I [had] played my last game" but realised "I still truly love this game and I have more to give".

ESPN has reported that James has signed a two-year contract, with a player option for the second year, worth $8m (£6m). His average salary with the Lakers last season was $50.7m (£38m).

James added: "I'm not going for money. 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."

The 76ers reached the Conference semi-finals in last season's play-offs, where they lost to the eventual champions, the New York Knicks.

They have since acquired Jaylen Brown from the Boston Celtics, in exchange for Paul George and some future draft picks.

Caitlin Clark got a surprise just as many others on Friday afternoon.

While speaking to the media at WNBA All-Star weekend in Chicago, the Fever star was told LeBron James’ decision to team up with the 76ers next season.

Shocked, she immediately thought of her Indiana counterpart.

“No way! I just pitched him for the Pacers. It didn’t get to him fast enough,” she said.

“The 76ers? Wow. Wow. Seflishly I wanted the Warriors because Steph [Curry] and Bron would have been absolutely insane together but they have some serious talent on the 76ers. Arguably maybe one of the favorites in the East now with the Knicks and obviously my Pacers. But wow.”

Like many, Clark thought the 41-year-old would have chosen to go to Miami or Cleveland — a familiar destination and where he has previously won NBA championships.

However, James decided to take on a completely new challenge and will be teaming up with Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid, VJ Edgecombe and Jaylen Brown.

“That’s really shocking, but I’ll be watching more 76ers games and obviously I’m a big fan of Bron so no matter where he was going to go I was gonna probably cheer for that team and root for them,” Clark said. “I’m gonna go wait for the NBA schedule to come out and make sure I have my tickets reserved for when the 76ers come play the Pacers because those are always hard to get.

“Happy for him.”

James has been a big defender of the 2024 Rookie of the Year when she was just joining the WNBA after a historic college run with Iowa.

After Clark announced she would be out for the remainder of the 2025 season after enduring various injuries, the four-time MVP was quick to cheer her on towards a comeback.

“Minor setback for a MAJOR COMEBACK!!” James posted. “Rest up, get healthy and be YOU!”

He also backed her when Clark was receiving backlash from veteran WNBA players prior to entering the leauge, including when Diana Taurasi said a “reality check” was on the way for her.

“If you don’t rock with Caitlin Clark game you’re just a FLAT OUT HATER!!!!!” James posted on X in April 2024. “Stay far away from them people!! PLEASE.”

Clark has earned her third All-Star nod of her three years in the WNBA.

She is currently averaging 21 points and nearly eight assists per game on 43 percent shooting to help the Fever to their 17-10 record.

For the All-Star game on Saturday night, Clark is on Teresa Weatherspoon’s team along with Fever teammate Aliyah Boston, Olivia Miles, Jonquel Jones, and A’ja Wilson.

Getting LeBron James to Philadelphia was a team effort for the 76ers.

James’ next stop was finally revealed Friday, as he announced he was heading to Philly, and ESPN reported how several Sixers figures recruited him to join their team.

The Sixers came at him “from all angles”, with president of basketball operations Mike Gansey staying in “constant communication” with James’ agent, Rich Paul, according to Dave McMenamin.

Paul previously shared that his client’s priority in his next chapter was “basketball happiness”, which the Sixers reportedly interpreted in optimistic fashion for their chances of landing him.

The outlet also shared how Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid and their new teammate Jaylen Brown made direct recruiting efforts towards James, with Maxey also being represented by Paul’s Klutch agency.

Those overtures were apparently a two-way street, as James, according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, continuously reached out to players like Embiid and gave the organization “hope that they were still involved.”

James was also courted by at least one prominent person outside of the Sixers organization, as he reportedly ran into Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro earlier this month.

Peter Hamby reported for Puck that Shapiro was dining at private members club ZZ’s in New York with Bill and Hillary Clinton when James came over to chat with the group.

Shapiro then reportedly used the chance meeting to “lobby” James to the Sixers — and now James is heading to his fourth team.

James is signing with the Sixers on a two-year, $8 million deal with a player option.

It remains to be seen if the 41-year-old would really play another two years, and he admitted on X that he nearly called it quits after last season.

“I thought I was done when the season ended,” he wrote.

“I wasn’t ready to announce it, and I knew I needed some time to really decide, but I was pretty sure I played my last game. I was honest at that last press conference when I said I needed to look at myself and deicide if I still love this game. I still truly love this game, and I have more to give.”

Now, James is back for at least another season, and he’ll try to add a fifth championship with the help of Maxey, Embiid, Brown and V.J. Edgecombe.

Should we have seen this coming all along? LeBron James knew that joining the Golden State Warriors would have been a losing gamble on the health of players five times closer to the ends of their careers than the beginnings. He knew the Cleveland Cavaliers, however strong their analytics, hopelessly lacked the unquantifiable greatness of a championship team. He knew the Giannis Antetokounmpo-led Miami Heat were too unproven to hitch his wagon to.

Of course he knew.

Related: LeBron James set to sign with Philadelphia 76ers in NBA free agency blockbuster

The Philadelphia 76ers aren’t necessarily the best team James could have chosen – I still think he could have soared the highest on the Minnesota Timberwolves (maybe that recruiting call from LaMelo Ball, or the prospect of riding shotgun with him, was just too off-putting) – but LeBron in Philly makes all the sense in the world.

Unlike the Heat, Cavs or Warriors, the 76ers figure to have some margin for disaster. The main concern is that Joel Embiid is hopelessly injury-prone, and despite James proving more injury-resistant than his 20-something co-stars last season in Los Angeles, nobody should be expecting durability from a man who turns 42 in December.

But Philly have enough talent that injuries may not prove catastrophic. There’s the dynamic Tyrese Maxey, who led the league in minutes per game this past season. There’s fellow 76ers newbie and former NBA finals MVP Jaylen Brown, whose much-disparaged efficiency could easily improve with this good a supporting staff. Twenty-year-old VJ Edgecombe should just keep getting better in his sophomore season.

Throw in James for 30 minutes a game to facilitate the offense, get Brown good shooting or driving looks, and take some of the playmaking burden off Maxey. In the games where Embiid’s ligaments decide not to violently betray him, their starting five could stack up against any team’s.

The decision, broken by ESPN’s Shams Charania and complete with a plug for agent Rich Paul’s podcast – I give it one more pivot to video before co-host credits start appearing on tombstones – is wonderfully LeBronian.

The Sixers were always a fascinating potential landing spot for James following his departure from the Lakers. They showed more upside than expected in beating the Boston Celtics from 3-1 down to begin the playoffs, then added Brown in the offseason. But they were hardly James’s expected destination.

The Heat seemed to have separated themselves from the pack, particularly when a social media editor with an itchy trigger finger posted a YouTube link titled “LeBron James Introductory Press Conference” scheduled for 27 July. The Cavs, with whom James began his career and had his finest moment in 2016, were the romantic choice. The Warriors offered a chance to play with Stephen Curry.

Leave it to LeBron to deny sentimentality in favor of a good basketball fit.

Can we talk about the money now? James signed an $8m, two-year deal with Philadelphia. That’s dramatically closer to what his benchwarming son is making on the Lakers than the $104m extension James signed with Los Angeles in 2024. It’s not that James doesn’t have an ego. He initially struggled to slot into the Lakers as the third option behind Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves. The lede of an ESPN story in May depicted James walking out of Crypto.com Arena bitter over not being given the game ball on a night he became the player with the most wins in NBA history.

What’s remarkable is his ability to set aside that ego. His ethos of making the right play, not the play most conducive to individual glory, is unaffected by decades of Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant hero-ball warping basketball discourse. James eventually embraced his third-option role and excelled at it. He accepted that he couldn’t have the money he felt he deserved or a championship-caliber team in Los Angeles. Say what you will about him milking this decision for all it was worth, but the way James has conducted his career has never been selfish at the cost of being correct.

This decision doesn’t suddenly vault the 76ers into a tier with the San Antonio Spurs or Oklahoma City Thunder. We’ve yet to see them put together a hot streak as scalding or prolonged as the one that propelled the New York Knicks to a championship last month. James’s fit in Philly may look better on paper than in practice. Father Time could come for him with a new vengeance this season. Embiid’s knee may collapse with the force of a dying star.

But entering his age-42 season, with a Hall of Fame-worthy micro-career packed into each of his three previous stops, LeBron James has injected fresh intrigue into his new team and the league as a whole. What more could you ask for?

No, you aren’t dreaming. Lebron James is in fact going to be on the Philadelphia 76ers.

Now that you have had a moment to come down from the shock and initial excitement to the massive news, it’s time to think about what this actually means for the Sixers’ outlook in the upcoming 2026-27 season.

Some of the quickest to adjust expectations are the sportsbook odd makers, who waste no time calibrating odds in the face of major news like this, so let’s see what FanDuel Sportsbook thinks of the Sixers after this morning’s bombshell.

A major pattern throughout the odds updates is the Sixers being much closer to the reigning champion New York Knicks in winning probabilities than they were considered to be last season, last month, or even yesterday. They still are regarded less highly than a few of the powerhouses out of the Western Conference, but things are certainly looking up for the franchise.

Let’s take a peek.

Number of wins line: 50.5

As of Friday afternoon, the Sixers’ win line is now set at 50.5 wins for the 2026-27 regular season. That means, right now, FanDuel expects them to win 50 games, with roughly even odds for the over or the under of that line. The Sixers last won 50 or more games back in 2022-23, which earned them the No. 3 seed in the East that postseason before falling in the second round (many such cases).

To end up the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference:

The Sixers are now considered tied with the Boston Celtics and the Detroit Pistons for the second-best odds to end up the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference at +500 (5 to 1), behind only the New York Knicks (+310). Philadelphia last claimed the No. 1 East spot back in 2021 with a 49-23 record, making it to the second round of the playoffs before falling there to the Atlanta Hawks. Prior to that, they hadn’t claimed the No. 1 spot since back in the Allen Iverson era.

To advance to Eastern Conference Finals:

This is a big one. Being unable to get out of the second round has been the defining factor of recent Sixers history, with the issue hitting the level of feeling akin to a curse. The Sixers last made the Eastern Conference Finals back in 2000-01, led by Allen Iverson. Philly won that series before being defeated in the Finals that season, and have yet to return to the penultimate series since.

This season, their odds of making it to the ECF sit at +190 (or 1.9 to 1 odds) according to FanDuel. This

To win the NBA Championship:

The Sixers are now listed with the fourth-best odds in the association to win the NBA Championship in 2026-27 at +1000. For those of you that don’t bet, that’s 10-1 odds. Not too shabby, and puts them just behind the reigning New York Knicks in third at +900. There is a clear gap between them and the first and second place teams (OKC and SAS, respectively), with both Western Conference squads having odds stronger than +300.

As a lifelong Sixers fan, I don’t think I’d have ever complained about the Sixers being in a position to be considered 10-1 to win the title in the offseason. In fact, more often than not, their odds have been exponentially worse. We’ll take it.

All odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook, reflecting odds at roughly 12:30 p.m. ET on July 24.

LeBron James picked the Philadelphia 76ers for his latest NBA free agency decision, and the move is already shifting the landscape of the entire league.

The league's all-time leading scorer announced on Friday, July 24, via social media that he's joining the Sixers in pursuit of another championship at the end of his historic career. It's a two-year deal worth $8 million, according to USA TODAY Sports, and gives Philadelphia two of the offseason's splashiest acquisitions. They also traded for former Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown earlier this month.

The addition of James and Brown has turned the 76ers into one of the NBA's leading title contenders heading into the 2026-27 season and they'll be the Eastern Conference team most likely picked to knock off the defending champion New York Knicks because of these moves.

Here's a breakdown of what the 76ers roster and projected starting lineup will look like now that they've acquired James, as well as an offseason grade for the team's front office:

LeBron James reportedly joining the Philadelphia 76ers is the latest development in the constantly evolving Eastern Conference. How this affects the big picture in the uber-competitive East is simple: Philadelphia is one of the favourites to come out of the East.

But how does this impact the Toronto Raptors? Their seven-game series against the 76ers defined the 2019 championship run, and a potential trilogy (remembering the 2001 series featuring Vince Carter and Allen Iverson) seems like it’s a realistic possibility.

Assuming Kawhi Leonard is traded to the Raptors, here’s how each team’s rotation looks:

Toronto

PG: Immanuel Quickley/Jamal Shead

SG: RJ Barrett/ Ja’Kobe Walter

SF: Kawhi Leonard/Collin Murray-Boyles

PF: Scottie Barnes/Kyle Anderson

C: Jakob Poeltl/Trayce Jackson-Davis

Philadelphia

PG: Tyrese Maxey/Labaron Philon Jr.

SG: VJ Edgecombe/Anfernee Simons

SF: Jaylen Brown/Dean Wade

PF: LeBron James

C: Joel Embiid/Adem Bona

Using these rosters – and acknowledging that should both organizations meet expectations and make ensuing trade deadline moves – let’s look at what advantages and issues the Raptors would have in a playoff matchup.

Starting lineup

As currently constructed, the 76ers boast one of the most complete starting lineups in recent memory. Offensively, they have the flexibility to hunt various matchups. The outside shooting isn’t necessarily elite, but they have enough firepower on the perimeter to get by. While it isn’t the most quantifiable stat, their starters have the stage presence to make big shots in high-pressure moments.

When healthy, Maxey and Embiid have always been a problem for the Raptors. Toronto still doesn’t have anyone on the roster to contain Maxey’s game-breaking speed and penetration, nor do they have the body to consistently contain Embiid.

What the Raptors do have is a duo best suited to negate the new additions of Brown and James. Even at 35-years-old, Leonard is more than capable of preventing Brown from taking over. While 76ers Head Coach Nick Nurse views James as a jumbo-wing hub, Barnes should have the advantage at this point in their respective careers regardless of scheme.

However, there should also be major concerns about what James does to unlock the off-ball versions of Maxey, Brown, and Edgecombe.

Despite the 76ers seemingly having the better starting five, they also have to deal with the best player on the court in Leonard. No one on their roster can guard Leonard and that matters in the post-season. Can Barrett knock down enough open shots when the 76ers rotate off him? Can Quickley hold his own defensively against Maxey without getting into foul trouble, so that he can be a threat on offence? Can Barnes continue his playoff ascension and dare James to prove that he still has enough in the tank?

Bench mob

During Game 7 of the 2019 playoff series, the Raptors opted for a strict seven-man rotation (Serge Ibaka played 29 minutes, while Fred VanVleet logged 15 minutes). Meanwhile, the 76ers deployed eight players. Assuming the DeMar DeRozan reunion falls through, it’s reasonable to project Shead, Walter and Murray-Boyles as the group that Raptors Head Coach Darko Rajakovic leans on.

Depending on what you value most off the bench, both the Raptors and 76ers have a case for the better unit. Toronto’s options are defensive stalwarts who are asked to be opportunistic scorers. While Philadelphia flaunts more offensively oriented players. Wade was unexpectedly annoying while guarding Brandon Ingram, but that won’t be an issue with Leonard.

There will also be fun minutes pitting Murray-Boyles against James, both in traditional and small-ball lineups. We’ll give the Raptors the slight edge in this department because of the flexibility that their bench offers.

Potential Needs

Raptors:

• Perimeter defence
• Big man (preferably one that can stretch the defence)
• Bench scoring

76ers:

• Perimeter defence
• Big man (extra bodies)

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

LeBron James made his final decision on his playing career, announcing he will spend his pre-retirement years with the Philadelphia 76ers, who haven't won an NBA championship since 1983.

The only speculation left for the 41-year-old James is what jersey number he will wear. The NBA's all-time leading scorer has only worn the No. 23 and No. 6 during his entire 23-year career.

At the time of his announcement that he was joining the Sixers, the No. 23 was available, as the player who wore that number last season, guard Tyrese Martin, signed a one-year contract with FC Barcelona. Martin only spent nine games with Philadelphia after signing a two-way contract with the team in February.

LeBron James career jersey number timeline

2003-10: No. 23

After being the No. 1 pick of the 2003 NBA Draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers, James stuck with the No. 23 he had worn during his high school career. He spent eight seasons with the Cavaliers before his first free agent decision.

2010-14: No. 6

When James made his televised debacle, better known as "The Decision," he and his cohorts, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, who were waiting for his talents to come to South Beach, made some bold predictions during their welcome rally. James said they would win "not 4, not 5, not 6" championships during his stint in Miami. But the only six that James would see would be his jersey number. He did win two championships in four seasons before departing.

Because his father is LeBron James, Bronny James has always been linked to him.

Bronny getting drafted, his first time playing in a game and even his playoff debut were all framed as a father-son NBA moment. However, LeBron is no longer a Laker and is taking his talent to the Sixers.

For those who think that means Bronny playing in Philadelphia is a foregone conclusion, think again.

Reports have indicated that his future is not linked to LeBron and he remains a part of LA’s young core.

And now, during the “Brock & Alex” show on 97.1 The Fan LA, Lakers beat writer Khobi Price discussed the Bronny situation, explaining in detail why he might remain part of the franchise.

“The Lakers are more than happy to keep Bronny James. They drafted him in the second round two years ago. They developed him. They’re a fan of him. He has a lot of people who like him within the building. It’s not going to be one of those situations where they’re just going to send Bronny to wherever LeBron goes. It would take something real for the Lakers to want to trade him.”

Over the past two years, Bronny’s seen tremendous growth. The Lakers invested in his career, developing him on the roster and with the G League team and Bronny had some great shifts in the postseason against the Rockets.

During Las Vegas Summer League, he was present for Lakers games supporting the young guys. He also participated in the team’s veteran minicamp, according to reporting from Dan Woike of The Athletic.

That doesn’t seem like a player who has checked out and assumes he will no longer be a part of this franchise.

Even if, hypothetically, the Sixers would like Bronny, the Lakers shouldn’t just move him to please LeBron or Philadelphia.

They value Bronny, and a bad trade would be poor asset management and weaken LA’s guard depth for no reason.

So, sure, Bronny might be on the move, but that should only happen if it’s a trade that makes sense. The Lakers are in win-now mode and focused on building around Luka Dončić.

Bronny is a part of that vision, and that should only change if what they are getting in a trade can impact winning immediately.

If not, then Bronny can continue to grow and develop on the Lakers, and additional minutes will be on the table for him this year.

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

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

LeBron James has made north of $581 million over his career. So why is his new deal with the Philadelphia 76ers so low?

James announced Friday, July 24 that he will sign with the Sixers in a move that lands James on his fourth different team across his NBA-record 24 seasons. Yet, despite his career earnings and despite his stature as the premier player of this generation, James’ contract with Philadelphia will be worth $8 million over two years, with the final season being a player option, a person with direct knowledge of the contract confirmed to USA TODAY Sports.

The person spoke under the condition of anonymity because they were not publicly authorized to discuss terms of the deal.