Philadelphia was always on the list of teams LeBron James was seriously considering, but talking to executives and others at NBA Summer League and after, the 76ers were usually dismissed. They were fourth or fifth on people's lists. Great basketball fit, but was LeBron really going to end his career 2,700 miles away from his family, playing for a team he had never played for before?
Yes, he is.
LeBron James is joining the Philadelphia 76ers on a two-year deal (at the veteran minimum, with a player option on the second year). Who were the winners and losers from this decision? Let's break it all down.
Winner: Philadelphia 76ers
Philadelphia was swept out of the playoffs last May by the Knicks, and it was hard to envision a path forward. Joel Embiid and his questionable knees, as well as Paul George, were on massive, seemingly untradable contracts. Everyone knew they needed to pivot and make Tyrese Maxey the future, but there seemed to be no path to turning this team into a title contender.
Then Philly traded George to Boston for MVP candidate Jaylen Brown, and things suddenly looked very different. The 76ers added depth, picking up Dean Wade and Anfernee Simons. LeBron doesn't seriously consider Philly if all those moves didn't shake out first.
Now LeBron James puts them over the top — Philadelphia is a legitimate title contender. In my book, you're a contender if you have a very realistic chance to win your conference, and Philadelphia now joins New York at the top of that list in the East. This team also has the depth to make things easy on LeBron and Embiid for the first 82 games, saving them for a playoff push. On top of all that, don't forget they have a championship coach in Nick Nurse (he won with Toronto in 2019), and overseeing everything for ownership is Bob Myers, the architect of the Warriors' title teams.
All that said, winning a title means sacrifice on the part of great players to make it all fit — and there is going to need to be some sacrifice in Philly.
LeBron and Brown know all about those sacrifices. There is no way to frame this other than the 76ers as massive winners.
One final note: Do not expect the 76ers to trade for Bronny James, reuniting him with his father. Rich Paul has said as much. The 76ers don't want to use their 15th and final roster spot on Bronny, and the Lakers don't want to give him up — after two years of development (and hard work by Bronny), he started to look like a potential future rotation player at the end of last season. He works hard on defense and shot 38.6% from 3-point range last season. Bronny deserves the chance to be out of his father's enormous shadow (as much as he ever will be) and stand on his own game. He gets that chance with the Lakers.
Winner: LeBron James
LeBron is not a winner because he chose Philadelphia — that is TBD — but he is a winner because he and his agent Rich Paul became the biggest story in the NBA and held up business for a couple of weeks so a 41-year-old could decide where to play next season. His clout remains unmatched.
LeBron and his decision once again have been the biggest story in sports for a week. It's wild to think about the fact he still has that kind of influence — and he's still a good enough player that this changes the balance of power in the East.
Winner: Teams/players wanting to finish free agency
The NBA can now get down to business and finish up free agency.
That was one of the first reactions from other teams and agents around the league. A lot of things have been on hold waiting for LeBron. James Harden in Cleveland and Draymond Green in Golden State opted out of their deals to give their teams flexibility to chase LeBron and others, now both are cleared to re-sign with their teams. One of the teams that struck out with LeBron likely snags DeMar DeRozan to give them some scoring punch (Miami and Cleveland have been linked). Jonathan Kuminga is hopeful one of the teams that struck out will come calling with a contract and a role he likes (maybe a sign-and-trade, but that is a complex situation).
In the coming days, expect a mini-rush, a second free agency with a lot of deals finalized. The business of the NBA will resume.
Loser: Miami Heat
Miami is still a winner overall this offseason because they landed Giannis Antetokounmpo to play next to Bam Adebayo. However, with all due respect to Andrew Wiggins, Bobby Portis, Tim Hardaway Jr. and everyone else in Miami, the Heat lack the kind of depth they are going to need, both for the marathon of the regular season and the playoffs. LeBron helped solve at least some of those problems.
Miami has to round out its roster in the budget shopping aisle, and that's not good for a team that wants to contend.
Loser: Cleveland Cavaliers
A return to Cleveland was a narrative a lot of fans wanted to see (and seemed a natural fit with LeBron turning his last season, or seasons, into a documentary). Instead, LeBron chose to push the Cavaliers further down the East championship ladder.
After striking out in bringing LeBron home (again), the Cavaliers are essentially going to run it back with a good team — Donovan Mitchell, James Harden, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen — but a team that did nothing to address the flaws that saw them swept out of the playoffs by the Knicks last May. Running it back and hoping for a different result is a rough way to go.
Winner: Los Angeles Lakers
Sometimes, a divorce can be amicable and better for everyone involved. That's what happened with the Lakers and LeBron.
There is no bad blood, although another year in purple and gold likely would have led to some on both sides. The Lakers pivot to building out a roster that is a much better fit stylistically around Luka Doncic (although better is up for debate, a lot depends on Walker Kessler living up to what he's being paid to be). LeBron gets a fresh start with a team that could win the East, he gets to write a new story. It's win-win.
Loser: Stephen Curry and Warriors
Golden State suffered probably the most painful loss of any team in the LeBron chase. When LeBron first announced he was leaving the Lakers, the Warriors were the betting favorite: LeBron would get to team up again with Stephen Curry, he'd be closer to his Los Angeles home and family, and it's a great story for his documentary with him and Curry (then Jimmy Butler joining once he recovers from his torn ACL midseason).
Then came the rumors that the Warriors would trade for Anthony Davis and reunite him with LeBron, and that duo plus Curry, Draymond Green and Butler could have made noise in the West. If the Warriors had been given assurances that getting Davis out of Washington would have meant LeBron came to the Bay Area, they would have gone harder for it, but with everything up in the air (and the Wizards not looking to move AD), nothing happened.
Now the Warriors essentially run back a 37-win play-in team from a year ago, and that's not exciting anyone.
Loser: The idea of the East as the Leastern Conference
There has long been a sense that the Western Conference is the varsity, the East is the JV — there were good teams at the top, but the depth wasn't there.
The East is the least no longer. Granted, the two scariest teams in the NBA heading into the season are still in the West — San Antonio and Oklahoma City — but when it comes to depth of talent and potential, the East has them.
New York and Philadelphia will have the best odds to win the conference, but the Detroit Pistons will run it back with a 60-win team from a season ago; the Boston Celtics will have Jayson Tatum and a depth of talent that will make them a threat; Miami now has Antetokounmpo and is no easy out; Toronto was a 46-win team a year ago that will (eventually, most likely) add Kawhi Leonard to the mix; Cleveland still has Harden and Mitchell and plenty of talent; the Atlanta Hawks looked great after the break and upgraded this offseason drafting Kinston Flemmings and adding Lu Dort; Indiana gets Tyrese Haliburton back and people underestimate how good Ivica Zubac will look in their offense; the Washington Wizards now have Trae Young, AJ Dybantsa and Anthony Davis; and the Magic still have Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner but now under a new coach.
That's 10 legitimately good teams, all capable of finishing in the top six. Who are the ninth and 10th teams in the West? Some combination of Phoenix, Portland, Utah or the LA Clippers? The very top of the West may be scarier, but the East looks deeper now — and LeBron James is part of that.
