Thirty-six All-Star honors. Twenty-nine All-NBA teams. Five NBA Most Valuable Player awards. Five NBA championships. Five Finals MVP awards.
Those are the combined accolades for four of the five members of the 76ers’ transformed starting lineup: the newly signed LeBron James, the recently acquired Jaylen Brown, and returnees Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid. And the other starter is VJ Edgecombe, who last season finished third on an excellent Rookie of the Year ballot and is widely viewed as capable of morphing into an All-Star and perhaps more.
It is an eye-popping look at the NBA’s newest on-paper super team, especially given the muted expectations entering the Sixers’ offseason.
But how will those decorated players all fit on the court, and with personalities all used to being the bona fide No. 1 option?
For all of those stars, it will be a test in sacrifice and adaptability and chemistry-building. It also is a challenge for coach Nick Nurse to create schemes that accentuate strengths individually and collectively.
This already was a complicated task last season. The Sixers leaned into the style of their electric young guards when Embiid was sidelined, but drifted back to playing through the big man when he was available, including in their rally from down 3-1 to beat the Boston Celtics in the playoffs’ first round. Yet high pace can still fuel these retooled Sixers, given the only player who scored more fast-break points per game than the certified speedster Maxey (5.7) was James, even in his age-41 season.
James also chose the Sixers because of the star power already in place, suggesting he understands the more complementary role he will occupy after what he called his final playing-destination decision.
He remains an elite offensive connector with off-the-charts basketball IQ. His championship habits — as evidenced by his 5 a.m. workout videos that have recently resurfaced, along with photos in the gym with Maxey that have circulated on social media in recent days — will be invaluable to a franchise that has not advanced past the playoffs’ second round since 2001.
LebBon James and Tyrese Maxey maintained a brother-like relationship before becoming teammates.Bill Streicher, Bill Streicher-I
James already has experience creating a super team with the Miami Heat, starring alongside Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh and winning two titles. But perhaps the best preparation for James’ role in Philly was last season with the Los Angeles Lakers, when he was the third option behind in-their-prime stars Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.
The Sixers, meanwhile, have already known for almost a month that they were adding Brown — an All-NBA wing who finished sixth in MVP voting last season — to the Maxey-Embiid-Edgecombe core.
Brown is coming off a season he defined as his “favorite,” because he was the top offensive weapon and helped written-off teammates overachieve expectations during a regular season mostly played without fellow star Jayson Tatum. Brown offers a blend of athleticism and strength — yes, including using that off arm — to separate from defenders and get his own shot.
But how will Brown shift back into a costar role? Nurse reminded during Las Vegas Summer League that the Sixers were already attempting to leverage a “1-3-5” positional trio with Maxey at guard, Paul George on the wing, and Embiid at center. But it never consistently materialized because those three players logged only 36 regular-season games together in two seasons.
“It’ll be a big part of our thought process on the offensive end right now,” Nurse said of the Brown fit. “And then it will take some polishing and massaging.”
Though James and Embiid are expected to enter the upcoming season healthier than in recent years, it is reasonable to expect they will still miss games and limit minutes in order to gear up for the playoffs. That approach would make the younger and more durable Maxey and Brown the most consistent primary scoring options.
Maxey elevated himself to All-NBA status for the first time last season, while further cementing himself as the Sixers’ unquestioned tone-setter and leader. The 25-year-old also led the league in minutes per game (38), and needed to carry an unfair offensive load while Embiid and/or George were sidelined.
The Knicks’ trapping defense stifled Maxey during their second-round playoff sweep, when he averaged only 18.3 points and shot 3-of-19 from three-point range while still nursing an injured pinkie finger. He called those four games “definitely one of the hardest [playoff] series I’ve played in, just for myself” and vowed to learn and improve during the offseason.
Now defenses won’t be able to put the bulk of their attention on Maxey. James’ playmaking — plus Edgecombe’s progress as a lead ballhandler — also should allow Maxey to regularly slide off the ball. Nurse said earlier this month that he wants Maxey to continue developing his midrange scoring to complement his explosive drives to the rim and deep three-pointers.
For Embiid, the arrival of James and Brown should ease the pressure of the Sixers’ entire universe — on and off the court — revolving around the 2023 MVP.
Though the mid-post still is an area of the court where Embiid can operate in the offensive flow, he may need to fight the muscle memory to create with the ball in his hands at all times. Perhaps he can lean into his 2024 Olympics experience, where he deferred and still found his moment to dominate in a comeback win against Serbia on a superstar-filled roster that also included James. Embiid regaining his three-point shooting prowess — he made 32.2% in 57 games the past two seasons, after connecting on 38.8% in 2023-24 — would be a big boost.
A cynic could say this roster revamp could stunt the development of Edgecombe. Though the second-year guard might not have as many plays run for him, Edgecombe’s athleticism can still be fully unleashed in the open court, including coast-to-coast opportunities.
“Instead of two of those a game,” Nurse said of Edgecombe in Las Vegas, “I’d like to see 10. Or at least try. I just think there’s a little bit more pace he can add to his game offensively.”
Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey served as a mentor for VJ Edgecombe in his rookie season. Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
And if anyone is worried Edgecombe might be perturbed about James’ signing, consider this: Edgecombe grew up watching James’ Heat teams as a kid in the Bahamas. He did a jersey swap with James the first time they matched up against each other in December. And he posted a photo of himself mimicking James’ “Smiling through it all! Can’t believe this is my life” meme upon learning they would be teammates.
It is reasonable to have concerns about the Sixers’ defense, given James and Embiid have taken clear steps back on that end of the floor. The Knicks deliberately put Embiid in pick-and-rolls during the playoffs, and he is not the rim protector he once was because he limits jumping in an effort to protect his surgically repaired left knee.
Further down the depth chart, newcomer Dean Wade will now shift from projected starting forward to a key bench contributor. There are situations when his perimeter defense will be enticing in closing lineups, and could create fascinating decisions for Nurse when the roster is fully healthy. It also will be interesting to monitor how the coach staggers his stars with those reserves, which also include Anfernee Simons, Labaron Philon Jr., Dominick Barlow, Justin Edwards, and Adem Bona (or Ariel Hukporti).
How long will this all take to figure out? Remember this: James did not win a title until his second season with Miami, in his return to the Cleveland Cavaliers, and with the Lakers.
So expect transferring the NBA’s newest on-paper super team to an actual basketball fit to be … wait for it … a process.
LeBron James, a legendary player and one of the most famous humans on planet Earth, has signed with the 76ers on two-year, $8 million contract. The deal includes a full 15% trade kicker, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.
LeBron James has officially signed his two-year, $8 million contract with the Philadelphia 76ers with a player option — plus a full 15% trade kicker, per sources. https://t.co/mXZspfkTug
The Sixers already shocked the NBA this offseason by acquiring All-NBA wing Jaylen Brown from the Boston Celtics in a blockbuster trade. They then one-upped themselves by landing James in one of the more improbable roster additions in franchise history.
This second monumental move during a transformational offseason further illustrates that the Sixers are making the all-in push toward championship contention in a deep Eastern Conference.
New Sixers president of basketball operations Mike Gansey has now assembled a starting five featuring arguably the best player of all time in James, a former NBA MVP in Joel Embiid, a five-time All-Star in his prime in Brown, and ascending guards Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe. And James was willing to take a veteran minimum contract to join this group — and a historic franchise aiming to advance past the playoffs’ second round for the first time since 2001 and capture its first championship since 1983.
James chose the Sixers over bookending his career with his hometown Cleveland Cavaliers or returning to the Miami Heat, where he won his first two NBA championships. The Golden State Warriors, Denver Nuggets, and Minnesota Timberwolves also were reported to be in contention for James.
The Las Vegas Summer League, where NBA executives, coaches, and agents gather annually, came and went with more speculation than insight about where James would play next. James did not reveal his next playing destination during multiple public appearances at Fanatics Fest last Thursday and Friday in New York, even after some light coaxing by fellow NBA star Tyrese Haliburton during a live taping of James’ Mind the Game podcast. Commissioner Adam Silver said even he was waiting on James’ decision so the league could finalize its 2026-27 schedule because James’ popularity demands prime television games.
It was worth the wait for the Sixers.
James’ basketball resumé could fill a book. He is the NBA’s all-time leader in points and games played, a four-time MVP, and a 21-time All-NBA selection. He has won four championships with three teams in the Los Angeles Lakers (2020), Cavaliers (2016), and Heat (2012 and 2013), and three Olympic gold medals with Team USA.
And though James is no longer a perennial MVP front-runner at age 41, he is still a versatile, All-Star-caliber player with an exceptional basketball IQ.
LeBron James scored 29 points in his most recent game in Philly. Charles Fox / Staff Photographer
Last season, he averaged 20.9 points, 7.2 assists, 6.1 rebounds, and 1.2 steals, and particularly thrived as a third offensive option behind Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves. James had a memorable performance in his most recent visit to Philly in December, scoring 29 points on 12-of-17 shooting — including a late tiebreaking three-pointer and another game-sealing jumper — in the Lakers’ 112-108 victory.
Now, James will team up with another dynamic young player for whom he has expressed fondness in Maxey. James and Maxey, who made an All-NBA team for the first time last season, are represented by Klutch and super agent Rich Paul. Maxey has worked out with James dating back to his predraft process in 2020.
“He loves Maxey,” Paul said on an episode of his Game Over podcast released earlier this month. “We don’t even need to talk about that.”
ESPN reported last week that Maxey, Embiid, and Brown had been recruiting James. Bob Myers, the president of Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment and former lead executive during the Warriors’ dynasty, also went on Game Over to make his pitch to the Sixers.
James also has loose ties to Gansey, who played high school basketball in Ohio at the same time as James and worked in the Cavaliers organization for more than a decade. The first hint that the Sixers were a legitimate contender may have come from Gansey’s brother, Steven, who after the Brown trade posted a photo of Mike Gansey and James as high school basketball players in Northeast Ohio, and the eyeballs emoji.
Sixers president of basketball operations Mike Gansey continues to turn the franchise into a title contender. Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer
Gansey told The Inquirer last week that he, “like the rest of the NBA,” was simply waiting on James’ free-agency decision.
“We’d love to have him in Philly,” Gansey said from the Sixers’ team hotel at Las Vegas Summer League. “I think he’d really, really help us and add to our group. But he’s making a big decision here. It’s wild [that], at his age, he’s playing at such a high level. But it’s not surprising.
“I have all the respect in the world for him, and he’s smart as heck. He’s going to figure it out and talk to his family, and we’ll be waiting. Whatever he decides, I know he’s going to make the right decision.”
When James informed the Lakers on June 30 that he would join another team in free agency, outsiders naturally connected him to his past stops in Cleveland and Miami as well as to the Warriors, where teaming up with fellow generational superstar Stephen Curry appeared tantalizing. Paul said publicly that James was prioritizing happiness and the opportunity to compete over salary at this point in his career.
Sixers followers, though, unearthed memories — part joke, part lament — of when James considered Philly as a free agent in 2018 but did not personally attend the meeting with Sixers representatives. He instead signed with the Lakers, where he spent the ensuing eight seasons.
Yet after the Sixers pulled off the trade for Brown, which sent Paul George (and his hefty contract) and four draft picks to Boston, Philly began percolating as a possible James destination once again.
Paul went on his podcast and unveiled a whiteboard with James’ name pointing to five possible destinations: the Sixers, Cavaliers, Heat, Nuggets, and Timberwolves. The Warriors, Celtics, Dallas Mavericks, San Antonio Spurs, and New York Knicks were on the outskirts of that inner circle.
“Philadelphia, everything changed,” Paul said.
“Do they have [James’] attention?” cohost Max Kellerman asked.
“How could you not have the attention when you have Maxey, Edgecombe, Brown, Embiid?” Paul responded. “ … [James] enhances everything. He unlocks everything here.”
Now, that is reality. James is set to join the Sixers, in another NBA shocker and monumental roster move.
Dalen Terry has been waived by the 76ers, the team announced Sunday.
The move will allow the Sixers to officially sign megastar LeBron James and veteran wing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope while staying under the first apron hard salary cap. The Sixers need to waive (or potentially trade) one more player in order to get under that financial ceiling.
Terry being one of the cuts is unsurprising. His $2.6 salary for 2026-27 was nonguaranteed until Jan. 10, after the Sixers picked up the team option in his contract in late June.
Terry joined the Sixers on a two-way contract in February, and averaged 4.1 points, 1.6 rebounds, and 1.6 assists in 12.4 minutes across 14 games. He had his contract converted to a standard deal in April, after veteran point guard Cameron Payne sustained a hamstring injury that would have kept him sidelined for weeks.
The 24-year-old Terry was with a group of Sixers teammates and staff to watch a Las Vegas Summer League game earlier this month. He said then that he had spent his offseason working on his shooting, and was excited when the team acquired All-NBA wing Jaylen Brown.
Jaylen Brown has yet to play a game for the 76ers, following the stunning blockbuster trade from the Boston Celtics earlier this month.
Yet a significant Brown-related decision already faces the Sixers. The All-NBA wing on Sunday became eligible for a one-year contract extension that could be worth nearly $69 million, which would keep him signed through the 2029-30 season.
If Brown does not sign the one-year extension this offseason, he will become eligible for a three-year extension in the 2027 offseason.
This all further demonstrates the financial investment the Sixers are making in Brown, who last season finished sixth in voting for the NBA’s Most Valuable Player award and is a five-time All-Star and former Finals MVP. He has three years remaining on his current supermax deal, with salaries of $57.7 million for the upcoming season, $61.7 million in 2027-28, and $65.6 million in 2028-29.
It also aligns with the rationale given by Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens for why he dealt Brown in his prime.
Had Brown stayed with the Celtics, he instead would have been eligible for a two-year, $142 million extension. Stevens cited a reason for the trade was that Brown and fellow star Jayson Tatum — who has four years remaining on his current contract, including a $71.4 million player option for 2029-30 — would take up approximately 70% of the Celtics’ salary cap. That makes it increasingly more challenging to build out a roster with strong complementary players under the league’s new collective bargaining agreement, with “apron” penalties including trade restrictions for high-spending teams.
Stevens repeatedly used the word “optionality” when describing the roster-building reasons for the move that shocked the NBA.
“I might be wrong. I’m not going to stand up here and be defensive about that,” Stevens said at a news conference following the trade. “But the path [to winning a championship] looked a little bit more challenging. … You have to do a great job of building out depth that can hopefully replace the irreplaceable individual.”
But Brown being traded to the Sixers knocked his extension eligibility down to one year, because players on new teams are only allowed to extend their contracts out to four total seasons. According to NBA cap expert Keith Smith, the salary figure Brown can earn on that additional year is the greater number of either the max salary for a player with 10 years of NBA service, which Spotrac projects to be $66.9 million in 2029-30, or a 5% raise on the final year of his current deal, which is $68.9 million.
Though adding Brown is a bit less of an immediate financial burden for the Sixers, it still creates a top-heavy salary cap sheet for multiple seasons.
Former NBA Most Valuable Player Joel Embiid is slated to make $57.7 million on his max extension in the upcoming season, then $62.4 million in 2027-28 and $67 million in 2028-29. All-NBA guard Tyrese Maxey also has three years remaining on his first max contract, at $40.8 million for the upcoming season, then $43.6 million in 2027-28, and $46.4 million in 2028-29.
Though both contracts are scheduled to come off the books in the 2029 offseason — barring another max or supermax extension for Maxey — standout guard VJ Edgecombe will be eligible to sign his first (potentially max) extension in the 2028 offseason.
It is possible the Sixers could persuade Edgecombe to take the same route that Maxey once did. Instead of signing a max extension when eligible entering the final year of his rookie contract, in 2023, Maxey waited a year before inking a max deal. That gave Maxey a smaller cap hit in the 2024 offseason, and more financial flexibility for the Sixers that they ultimately used to sign Paul George to a four-year max contract.
Today that George deal is considered even more of an albatross than Brown’s contract, because George is older (36), no longer a perennial All-Star, and has struggled to stay on the court in recent seasons. But he will come off Boston’s books sooner, with two years remaining on his deal including a player option. That contract also becomes increasingly easier to trade the closer it gets to expiring.
Just because Brown is now eligible for the one-year extension does not mean that it will be offered by the Sixers and agreed to immediately — or at all.
Yet it is a reminder of at least part of the Celtics’ justification for trading Brown. And it gives the Sixers a Brown-related decision before he even steps on the court for his new team.
Some final roster tinkering still must occur before training camp begins in late September. The Sixers need to waive one player — likely Dalen Terry or Jabari Walker, who are on nonguaranteed contracts — to get under the first apron hard cap to sign James. Chris Haynes also reported that veteran guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope intends to reunite with James in Philly upon reaching a buyout agreement with the Memphis Grizzlies, which would require another Sixer to be waived or traded. They also have one more two-way contract slot available.
But James’ addition means the bulk of business is finished. In short, it has been a heck of a first offseason for new president of basketball operations Mike Gansey. Entering the summer, the Sixers appeared to be locked into their top-heavy roster, given that Joel Embiid and Paul George’s max contracts were viewed as difficult to trade. Instead, the front office executed a blockbuster deal for an All-NBA wing, secured an all-time great on a veteran minimum deal, and added role players who now put the Sixers in the contender tier.
How does it all grade out, player-by-player? Here is a breakdown:
LeBron James: A
James, arguably the best player of all time, decided to join the Sixers because he believes in the title potential of the roster already in place.
Though the 41-year-old will play more of a complementary role here than when he was a perennial MVP candidate in his prime, he still has All-Star capabilities after averaging 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 7.2 assists in 60 games last season with the Los Angeles Lakers.
LeBron James picked the Sixers over a number of suitors, including the Golden State Warriors, Miami Heat, and Cleveland Cavaliers. Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
The Sixers will most value his playmaking, basketball IQ, and experience building a championship culture with all of his three former teams in the Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat, and Lakers.
To call landing James on two-year, $8 million contract a “steal” — especially when his two former NBA stops were options as sentimental career-enders — is the understatement of understatements.
Brown is coming off his best individual NBA season, averaging 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 5.1 assists and finishing sixth in MVP voting while fellow star wing Jayson Tatum was sidelined for months following Achilles surgery. Brown also is a strong perimeter defender. But how will he readjust to being one of multiple premier scoring options, joining James, Tyrese Maxey, and Embiid?
Brown does come with a massive contract — and will be eligible for a one-year extension Sunday — which keeps the Sixers’ cap sheet top-heavy for the foreseeable future. But that the Sixers could turn George’s deal — which was even more of an albatross, given his age and injury history — into Brown shocked the NBA.
Dean Wade: A
Remember when it looked like Wade would be the Sixers’ primary free-agency addition? He was the team’s primary target entering June 30, before things turned wild.
The 6-foot-9 Wade is a quintessential role player — especially on this team — as a stout defender who can space the floor but does not need the ball in his hands. He initially was projected as the Sixers’ starting power forward before James joined, but now he’ll bolster a bench unit that needs it.
The 27-year-old guard is a dynamite high-volume three-point shooter who fits the “instant offense” off-the-bench archetype. His smaller 6-foot-3 frame does make him a defensive liability, particularly in potential lineups with Maxey or rookie Labaron Philon Jr. Simons also was a teammate of Brown’s for part of last season with the Boston Celtics.
Ariel Hukporti: C
Hukporti’s NBA potential largely is unknown — or at least untapped.
The athletic 7-footer was the New York Knicks’ third-string center behind Karl-Anthony Towns and Mitchell Robinson, and averaged only 9.1 minutes in 79 games across two seasons.
Backup center remains the Sixers’ biggest positional weakness, with Hukporti, Adem Bona, and Johni Broome the options to fill that role after the departure of veteran Andre Drummond. And though Embiid is optimistic he has figured out how to manage his surgically repaired left knee, one still must assume he will miss a chunk of games. That means one of those reserves will need to reliably slide into the starting spot.
Labaron Philon Jr.: B+
Perhaps Philon slipping to the Sixers at No. 22 in the NBA draft was the first sign of the buzzy offseason to come.
Many evaluators projected the former Alabama guard as a lottery pick, and ESPN expert and longtime coach Fran Fraschilla said Philon had the potential to be the best point guard in a deep draft class at that position.
Philon flashed that gutsy shotmaking, crafty ballhandling, and ability to distribute during Las Vegas Summer League. And now he will have more ability to develop on this star-studded roster.
Caleb Love and Rayan Rupert: B
Both players will begin the season on two-way contracts, designed to split time between the Sixers and the G League’s Delaware Blue Coats.
Love is an aggressive — and streaky — scorer coming off his rookie season with the Portland Trail Blazers. Rupert boasts an impressive 7-foot-2 wingspan, but has rarely gotten meaningful minutes in three NBA seasons spent with the Blazers and Grizzlies.
The Sixers have a history of identifying talent with two-way deals. Walker, Terry, and Dominick Barlow were converted to standard contracts last season.
LeBron James’ Friday morning news dump did not come via an ESPN television special or a Sports Illustrated open letter.
Or on his agent’s podcast, for that matter.
Instead, it was one post on X (formerly Twitter) from ESPN news-breaker Shams Charania. And another from James’ agency, Klutch Sports, with confirmation. Then a thread of posts on the platform from LeBron himself, with an initial explanation of what he is calling his final decision.
It was gargantuan nonetheless. For the NBA, which still hangs on James’ every move. And for Philly, which just landed a global superstar to bolster its championship quest.
LeBron James is a Sixer. So is Jaylen Brown. And Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid and VJ Edgecombe, for that matter. And it all brings together arguably the most improbable-yet-transformative offseason in franchise history under new president of basketball operations Mike Gansey.
James, who has agreed to sign a two-year, $8 million deal, The Inquirer confirmed, will finish his legendary career with a team with which he has far less prior connection than his other reported suitors. He did not choose the hometown Cleveland Cavaliers in what would have been a sentimental career bookend. Or the Miami Heat, where he won his first two NBA championships. Or even the Golden State Warriors, whose location is easily commutable by private jet from Los Angeles if his family chose to stay there.
But “everything changed,” agent Rich Paul said on his Game Over podcast, once the Sixers pulled off the blockbuster trade for Brown and vaulted into title contention.
Playing with the All-NBA guard Maxey, a fellow premier Klutch client who has worked out with James since Maxey’s pre-draft process, went from theoretical to realistic. Working with Edgecombe, who just completed a terrific rookie season, was intriguing to James, Paul said. A source close to James also told The Inquirer Friday that James has known Sixers co-owner David Blitzer for many years, and appreciates the franchise’s rich history and passionate fan base.
Still, James waited more than three weeks to pick his last basketball-playing destination.
Contenders brought their pitches, privately and publicly. As the NBA gathered in Las Vegas for Summer League, Sixers and Cavaliers representatives (and the occasional information-seeker) lingered in the lobby of the same luxury hotel. Elsewhere on the Strip, a Denver Nuggets staffer told a casually assembled group that the team was still hopeful about its chances to land James. But far more speculation than actual insight percolated from NBA team insiders and plugged-in followers.
The hovering buzz epitomized the magnitude of James’ presence and that he is still an excellent player, even entering his NBA-record 24th season. The league’s wait for James held up the second wave of free agency. Even commissioner Adam Silver publicly said the league could not finish creating its 2026-27 schedule until it knew for which team James would be playing.
LeBron James chose the Sixers over more predictable picks, like the Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat. Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
Yet there was purpose behind James’ elongated, close-to-the-vest timeline, a source said.
James could take advantage because, unlike past spins in free agency, he was willing to sign for far less money than in his previously earned contracts and instead prioritized happiness and the opportunity to compete for a championship. He spent the past couple of days in Los Angeles with his family, the source said, and likely played some golf. He and his personal team did not plan a big announcement (or an announcement that an announcement would be announced).
Instead, James told Paul that he would call him when he had made his choice, and then Paul would call the team, the source said.
Once his choice became public, cue the evidence of James’ mainstream fame — with Philly now at the epicenter. His Sixers jersey sold out in all colors on the Fanatics website. Celebrities and normies alike rejoiced on social media. This reporter did a radio interview in Regina, Saskatchewan, while Inquirer colleagues ventured out into the streets to get immediate, unfiltered reactions.
That the Sixers were even in position to make their offseason splashes is the equivalent of a basketball roster-building miracle.
Remember, this team is less than 17 months removed from concluding a 2024-25 season with Marcus Bagley and Lonnie Walker IV in its starting lineup, after Embiid and Paul George’s constant health issues turned championship aspirations into disaster. They are less than three months removed from the jarring flip from the euphoria of rallying to beat the Boston Celtics in the playoffs’ first round to getting swept by the eventual champion New York Knicks. That sent the Sixers into the offseason with muted expectations, given Embiid and George had multiple years remaining on max contracts widely viewed as difficult to trade.
Then Gansey found perhaps the only scenario in which they could unload George’s albatross contract and upgrade, adding an All-NBA wing in Brown. And they landed James when he no longer cared about salary, but is still an All-Star-caliber player with exceptional basketball IQ and championship experience.
That all led to Friday morning’s series of social-media posts, and the capper on a transformative-yet-improbable offseason.
Jaylen Brown is a Sixer. So are Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid, and VJ Edgecombe.
Sixers president of basketball operations Mike Gansey has a history with James. They first crossed paths as Ohio high school basketball players and later when Gansey was an executive with the Cavaliers.
// Timestamp 07/24/26 7:44pm
‘It’s a Philly King’: Inquirer and Daily News front (and back) pages
The Philadelphia Inquirer’s front page for Saturday, July 25, 2026.The Philadelphia InquirerThe front of the Philadelphia Inquirer sports section for Saturday.staffThe front cover of Sunday’s Daily News.Daily NewsAnd the back cover of the Daily News.Daily News
// Timestamp 07/24/26 7:37pm
Steve Gansey says Sixers fans are showing him the love after his brother’s big move
Steve Gansey, right, brother of Sixers president of basketball operations Mike Gansey, left, became popular online after he shared an image of his brother and LeBron James.Courtesy of Steve Gansey
Steve Gansey was at work on Friday morning when the texts started to trickle in.
Two colleagues from Philadelphia shared the news that LeBron James had signed with the 76ers. Gansey, the younger brother of new Sixers’ president of basketball operations Mike Gansey, logged onto Twitter/X, and saw a post from ESPN insider Shams Charania saying the same.
Like any other responsible basketball fan, he checked to make sure it wasn’t a prank account, before getting too excited.
“I was like, ‘OK, well, who knows?’” Gansey said on Friday. “You’ve got to do your due diligence and make sure that’s real.”
About an hour later, Steve received the ultimate confirmation from his brother.
“Mike actually called me,” he said. “And was like, ‘What’s up?’ And I was like ‘… What’s up?’”
Steve said his brother barely talked about LeBron at all.
“We talked about how excited he is, this that and the other, and the first thing he said was, ’Yeah, it’s Nick Nurse’s birthday,’” Gansey said. “And Nick was boarding a plane or something, and Mike had to shoot him a text, and he said, ‘Happy Birthday,’ or something.”
He added: “Only a couple of hours after he gets the news with LeBron, Mike is talking about going to the flea market with his kids tomorrow in Cleveland. And how excited he is to find some old school starting lineups or action figures. That’s just who Mike is.”
The younger Gansey ignited social media a few weeks ago, when he posted a photo of his brother, side-by-side, with LeBron, in high school. LeBron played basketball at St. Vincent-St. Mary, a short drive from Olmsted Falls, where Gansey played.
Steve says he didn’t have any inside knowledge when he posted that prophetic tweet, but that didn’t stop Sixers fans from showering him with praise on Friday afternoon, after the news became official.
“Everyone was like, ‘Thanks Steve for everything,’ like I did something,” Gansey said. “I gave people hope, I guess, by throwing out a couple of tweets there.”
Steve has never been to Philadelphia; the closest he got was a trip to Delaware when he was coaching in the G-League. But he is excited to go. And when he does, he will have plenty of free food and alcohol awaiting him.
“Someone said that Mike can walk on the Sch-ku-yu? What is it? Water?” Gansey said, referring to the Schuylkill River. “I was like, ‘OK, that must be a tough body of water to walk on.’
“The free Tastykakes. ‘I have your hookup for free Tastykakes for Mike.’ Free cheesesteaks. ‘You get free beer, or a free drink, when you come into town.’”
These are nice perks, but the younger brother is more proud of his brother than anything else — and unlike the rest of the NBA, he’s certainly not surprised.
“It comes around,” he said. “And that’s what relationships are. Obviously they have a good relationship together, they won a championship [in Cleveland] together, they feel comfortable. Nick Nurse won a championship. He’s a players’ first type of coach.
“It’s just really awesome that they are back together again. And it’s even cooler that they’re teaming up in a different city. Two northeast Ohio guys, takin’ on the world.”
We still don’t know when LeBron James will make his regular-season 76ers debut, as the NBA has yet to drop its schedule, but two preseason games have already been revealed. And if you hope to see him in preseason action at Xfinity Mobile Arena, get ready to pay a pretty penny.
As of Friday afternoon, tickets for the Sixers’ preseason home game vs. the Boston Celtics (7 p.m. on Oct. 16) start at $305 each for two tickets, according to Vivid Seats. A single ticket is $321. Tickets for the Sixers’ other known preseason game, at the Celtics’ TD Garden Oct. 10 (8 p.m.), start at $157 for two tickets together, while a single seat starts at $193.
We’ll say it again: These are for preseason games.
Worth it for an audience with King James?
The preseason home-and-home already had intrigue, since it could be the first time Jaylen Brown sees his former team. The Sixers acquired Brown from the Celtics, the only team he had known in his 10 NBA seasons, on July 1 for Paul George and four draft picks.
Breaking down LeBron’s decision to join the Sixers
// Timestamp 07/24/26 5:24pm
‘That’s cheating’: Kendrick Perkins, Vince Carter on LeBron signing
ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins, who played with LeBron James on the 2014-15 Cavaliers team that fell in the finals, said the future Hall of Famer’s decision to sign with the Sixers made Philly a legitimate championship threat.
With an existing core of Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, and the recently acquired Jaylen Brown, Perkins believes James is the piece that will put Philly over the top.
“The Philadelphia 76ers, with LeBron James, can win the championship this year, with this roster,” Perkins said. “The teams that he won a championship with, they had dogs… this is what [the 76ers] have”
Hall of Famer Vince Carter said James joining the Sixers was “cheating”.
Along with James, who is entering his 24th season in the NBA, Carter also played well into his 40s, with a career spanning from 1998-2020. But while the former 5th overall pick did not win a championship across his 22 year career, James will now aim to win his 5th championship, and become the first player to win one with four separate teams.
During an recent episode of The Cousins, a podcast he co-hosts with Tracy McGrady, Carter said James “doesn’t have to do much to still be him” due to Philly’s talented roster.
“Now your fifth-best starter has to guard one of those guys,” Carter said, calling it “crazy.”
LeBron James’ signing adds an exclamation point to Sixers’ transformational summer
LeBron James chose the Sixers over suitors that included the Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
LeBron James’ Friday morning news dump did not come via ESPN television special or Sports Illustrated open letter.
Or on his agent’s podcast, for that matter.
Instead, it was one tweet from ESPN newsbreaker Shams Charania. And another from James’ agency, Klutch Sports, with confirmation. Then a thread of tweets from LeBron himself, with an initial explanation of what he is calling his final decision.
It was gargantuan all the same. For the NBA. And for Philly.
LeBron is a Sixer. So is Jaylen Brown. And Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid and VJ Edgecombe, for that matter. And it all brings together arguably the most improbable-yet-transformative offseason in franchise history under new president of basketball operations Mike Gansey.
James, who has agreed to sign a two-year, $8 million deal, The Inquirer confirmed, will finish his legendary career with a team with which he has far less prior connection than his other reported suitors. He did not choose the hometown Cleveland Cavaliers. Or the Miami Heat, where he won his first two NBA championships. Or even the Golden State Warriors, where it is easily commutable from Los Angeles if his family chose to stay there.
But “everything changed,” agent Rich Paul said on his Game Over podcast, once the Sixers pulled off the blockbuster trade for Brown.
Playing with Tyrese Maxey, a fellow premier Klutch client who has worked out with James since his pre-draft process, went from theoretical to realistic. Working with a young VJ Edgecombe was intriguing to James, Paul said. A source close to James also told The Inquirer Friday that James has known Sixers co-owner David Blitzer for many years, and appreciates the franchise’s history and passionate fan base.
In 2017, coming off the opening weekend of his film Split, M. Night Shayamalan rang the Sixers’ ceremonial bell before the Philly team took on the LA Clippers. His daughter Saleka sang the national anthem.
“I can still remember when Dr. J retired,” the filmmaker and die-hard Sixers fan who grew up in Wynnewood and lives in Willistown Township, wrote on the Sixers website in 2019. “It was a tough, tough night in the Shyamalan household.”
A big fan of the late 1990s, Pat Croce, Allen Iverson, Dikembe Mutombo era, Shyamalan chose to celebrate LeBron James’ decision to join the Sixers with an AI generated image of him and James, which he shared on Instagram. In it, the filmmaker is dressed in an armor embossed with the Sixers’ logo and wears a metal crown. Next to him, James wears a “Phila 6” basket ball jersey and a crown more regal than Shyamalan’s. Behind them, a chessboard serves as a background; Shayamalan is the knight (get it?) and James the king. The minimalist caption just tags James and the Sixers’ Instagram accounts.
Most comments decried Shyamalan’s use of Generative AI and one commenter specifically pointed out that the number 6 jersey was retired across NBA teams, in honor of the late Boston Celtics legend, Bill Russell, who passed away in 2022.
Shyamalan, a Sixers season-ticket holder with courtside seats, directed former Sixers point guard James Harden and former coach Doc Rivers in a promotional short for his 2023 thriller, Knock at the Cabin.
Sixers remain silent about LeBron, but not season ticket sales
A text message sent by the Sixers Friday afternoon.Conor Smith
The 76ers have not posted about LeBron James’ decision to sign with the team on social media yet. However, it seems that the team’s ticket sales department is looking to take advantage of the frenzy following the initial news breaking.
In a well-timed time message, the team sent out a reminder to past ticket purchasers that “2026-27 Season Tickets are selling out fast.” Wonder why that may be?
No plan for Bronny James to join LeBron in Philly: ESPN
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.
Raymond Davis took the train into 30th Street Station to play basketball at Schuylkill River Park.
Before leaving his home in Mount Airy, he put on his Tyrese Maxey to hoop in — not knowing LeBron James would sign with his favorite team shortly after. pic.twitter.com/VhnGdRSg9i
Raymond Davis took the train into 30th Street Station to play basketball at Schuylkill River Park. Before leaving his home in Mount Airy, he put on his Tyrese Maxey to hoop in — not knowing LeBron James would sign with his favorite team shortly after.
“I didn’t even know he was coming until I got on the train,” Davis said. “I was ready to cry on that jawn, bro. It’s so crazy. We getting the chip though, you know what I’m saying. This is the best our team ever looked and I’m just happy to be here. Happy for LeBron, been a LeBron fan since I was a young boul. It’s thorough.”
Davis met up with a few friends on the way to Schuylkill River Park. One of them, Christopher Gaines, is just as excited as Davis. Gaines is ready to write the day down in history books.
“The king of basketball’s coming to Philly — the city of sports and this is like a great day, a great moment,” Davis said. “You know, what? July 24th, I will always remember as ‘King Bron Day’ — the day LeBron came to Philly.”
“I think it’s a special day that all people in Philadelphia should celebrate and should look deep inside their hearts to just remember this is a very important and special day in Philadelphia’s history.”
‘We were picked!’: Sixers fans react to LeBron signing
Lydia Victor and her sister bought a Whole Foods cake to celebrate LeBron James signing with the Sixers.Lydia Victor
After LeBron James announced his decision, Lydia Victor and her sister bought a Whole Foods chantilly cake to celebrate. The Northeast Philly graphic designer and sports content creator had the bakery write “Trust the Process 23” in red frosting on top. She planned to cut it later Friday with her father, who went to college in Ohio and is the biggest LeBron fan, she said.
She said it almost didn’t matter if the James-led team wins a championship — though she was already planning to celebrate on Broad Street. The fact that James chose Philadelphia brought her more happiness than a championship (or potentially getting married or having kids) might. She likened the moment to Meredith Grey’s iconic monologue in the TV show Grey’s Anatomy imploring Derek Shepherd to choose her.
“It’s just the mindset that Philly isn’t always considered a big market and the national media usually counts us out when it comes to acquiring big name free agents,” she said. But this time, things were different.
“We were picked!” she said.
Cormac Watson, a Lakers fan visiting Philadelphia from Ireland, said he was glad James had chosen the Sixers. He wished the 41-year-old well after having spent nearly a decade playing in Los Angeles, but gave a cryptic and familiar warning about the Sixers’ future.
“It all relies on Embiid,” he said.
Darnell Butts, 56, said there’s no way the Sixers would have landed James had former general manager Daryl Morey still been in charge. Butts was optimistic about the Sixers’ championship chances, and excited for the team’s younger stars to learn from a player he calls the greatest of all time. Butts said he wants to welcome James in Philly fashion.
“Get a Philly cheesesteak, it’s on Darnell Butts. Meet me at Reading Terminal,” he said.
Not everyone was thrilled with James’ decision though. Swain Tomar, 39, is from Miami and was dismayed his Heat couldn’t ultimately sway James. He said although he’s a fan of James, it would be tough watching Sixers fans getting to enjoy his final act when the Heat were reportedly among James’ final suitors. Swain blames it on the team’s mistakenly posting a YouTube link to a future introductory press conference for James had he signed with Miami.
“I think we bungled it,” he said.
But Victor said her goodwill toward James goes away if reports are true that he would commute from New York City while a Sixer, instead of living in the area.
“If you’re choosing us lock in [and] choose us,” she said.
LeBron James’ new Sixers jerseys didn’t last long.Charles Fox / Staff Photographer
Fanatics is already sold out of some LeBron James Sixers jerseys.
About two hours after the news broke, all first editions of the no. 23 jerseys were sold out on the Fanatics website. The adult royal blue, white, and red Swingman premium jerseys had been selling for $124.99, in line with the price of similar jerseys for other Sixers stars. Youth jerseys had also been available to pre-order for $69.99.
Red-and-blue adult Fast Break jerseys, which are made of different material, were available to preorder for $79.99 as of Friday afternoon. They were set to ship in early August.
Longtime Sixers public address announcer Matt Cord retired at the end of the season, but took a minute to offer up what his LeBron James intro would sound like during an appearance on 97.5 The Fanatic Friday.
I bet you want to hear Matt Cord Introduce LeBron James…
Deyson Martinez prepares food at Honeygrow in Center City Philadelphia.Jessica Griffin / Staff Photographer
Honeygrow, the Philly-founded fast casual food business, tried to lure LeBron James to the Sixers in the day leading up to the announcement.
On Thursday, the company known for its made-to-order stir-fries as well as salads posted on its Instagram what sounded like an enticing offer: Come to Philadelphia, and we’ll give you free Honeygrow food for life, the company touted.
“Thoughts on taking your talents to Broad Street?” the company said in the Instagram post. “We’ve got all the Heat you need.”
One commenter on Instagram chimed in: “I’m not LeBron James but I’d happily take free Honeygrow for life.” Another noted: “Way to sweeten the pot lol”
When the news came out on Friday that James was actually coming to Philadelphia, founder and CEO of Honeygrow Justin Rosenberg said he was “ecstatic.”
He joked: “LeBron personally called me before the announcement and let me know that it was partially because of this – I’m totally kidding.”
Rosenberg, who calls himself a “hardcore Sixers fan,” doesn’t think his company ultimately had anything to do with the decision.
“We’re all floored. This is super cool,” he said. “Just to have him be a part of the city is great.”
Asked if he’ll keep up his end of the deal and provide free Honeygrow to James for life, Rosenberg said, “We’re going to have to keep our end of the bargain and have a conversation with him about this.”
“He’s going to have to reach out. Let’s talk, LeBron,” he said. “Let’s figure it out.”
Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe react to LeBron James coming to Philly
Tyrese Maxey and LeBron James during a December 2025 game in Philly.Bill Streicher, Bill Streicher-I
Philly’s other pro athletes are among the most excited about James coming to Philly, after big names like Bryce Harper and Cooper DeJean attempted to make their pitch on the All-Star red carpet.
Despite speculation that Jaylen Brown and James might have beef, after Brown said a few years ago that he didn’t believe James’ son Bronny was a pro, Brown was the first to post after the announcement.
While we’re still waiting on Joel Embiid, Embiid spent much of 2014 on Twitter trying to lobby James to the Sixers. Twelve years later, he finally got his wish.
@KingJames hey bro hope you're having a good day…… Want to join us in philly?? Peace
Even the city’s other athletes are getting in on it. Saquon Barkley extended a golf invite, after Sixer fans spent weeks conspiring on the locations of James’ golf trips.
Welcome to the city! Let me know when you tryna tee it up 🏌🏽⛳️ @KingJames
LeBron James’ arrival makes the Sixers true championship contenders.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
A lot changed for the Sixers on Friday, including their title odds after LeBron James announced he’d be ending his free agency by signing with the Sixers.
Prior to James becoming a Sixer, they were listed as +2000 to win the NBA Finals, according to Sports Illustrated on July 20.
Philly is now up to +1000, the fourth favorite behind the Oklahoma City Thunder (+260), San Antonio Spurs (+260), and New York Knicks (+900).
The Knicks (+340) remain the favorite to win the Eastern Conference, but the Sixers sit in second with +380 odds for the conference title. Prior to James’ two-year $8 million contract, Philly was +700 to win the East.
Their odds to be the Atlantic Division winners jumped from +450 to +220, according to DraftKings Sports.
— Mia Messina
// Timestamp 07/24/26 11:58am
Gov. Shapiro declares it ‘LeBron James Day’
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro rings the bell before a 2024 Sixers game.Steven M. Falk / Staff Photographer
Gov. Josh Shapiro announced that Friday would be known as LeBron James Day in a proclamation posted on X following the announcement that the famed player would be signing with the 76ers.
“Pennsylvania is honored to welcome LeBron James to our Commonwealth as he joins the Philadelphia 76ers for his best season yet,” the proclamation reads.
Shapiro highlighted James’s record-breaking NBA career and philanthropic endeavors throughout the proclamation as a reason to dedicate the day to him.
“LeBron has prioritized giving back to his community by founding programs to help at-risk youth stay in school,” the proclamation says. “Funding scholarships and college support, establishing community hubs to address emergency housing, food insecurity, and other wraparound service needs, and much more — making LeBron one of the most charitable athletes in the world.”
LEBRON IS COMING TO PHILLY.
By the power vested in 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.
Shortly after news broke that LeBron James planned on signing a two-year deal with the Sixers, the future Hall of Famer took to social media to explain his most recent decision. Here’s the full text:
“I thought I was done when the season ended. 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 decide if I still love this game. I still truly love this game, and I have more to give.
“The last few weeks have really been special. I’ve never been able to have no clue what to do and take real time to just think. I’ve had an incredible few months with all the people I love trying to figure it all out. This is my last decision. 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.
“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.
“Thank you LA. Miami I’ll forever love and Northeast Ohio will always home!”
LeBron James is signing with the Sixers, who immediately become one of the favorites to win the Eastern Conference.Charles Fox / Staff Photographer
Steph Curry changed the way basketball was played and the way boys and girls around the world wanted to play it, and among the fraternity of NBA players themselves, Kobe Bryant was more respected and feared, for his preparation and cutthroat competitiveness. But LeBron James has been greater longer than any other player in the sport (with the possible exception of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, if you count his Lew Alcindor/UCLA years).
Set aside, if possible, the four NBA championships and the 10 Finals appearances and the league’s career scoring record and the three Olympic gold medals and the other records he has set. His choreographed announcement in 2010 that he was leaving the Cleveland Cavaliers for the Miami Heat was the 21st century’s answer to the revelation that Kristin Shepard had pumped two bullets into J.R. Ewing’s belly. It changed everything about the power that elite players held over their respective teams because it showed elite players that they held power over their respective teams. Pro sports hasn’t been the same.
Finding an athlete comparable to James in popularity and influence is difficult enough, let alone one who arrived in Philadelphia during the middle stage or latter half of his career, after he had established his galactic superstardom. Wilt Chamberlain already had been a high school phenom here when the Warriors made him a territorial pick in the 1959 NBA draft. Julius Erving was the “Babe Ruth of basketball” — at least, that’s how Sixers general manager Pat Williams described him in trying to persuade owner Fitz Dixon to cough up the money to acquire Dr. J. But Erving had spent six years in the relative obscurity of the ABA; telling someone you had seen him play for the Virginia Squires or New York Nets, whether in person or on TV, was akin to claiming you had spotted a Sasquatch.
Allen Iverson was a pop-culture revolutionary with the Sixers for introducing hip-hop style and fashion into the mainstream; his on-court accomplishments, though, don’t stack up to James’. Bryce Harper was as well known as any player in Major League Baseball when he signed with the Phillies in 2019, but he didn’t and still doesn’t have anywhere near the global recognition and cachet that James does.
Right now, we’re still waiting for the NBA to release the Sixers’ full 2026-27 schedule, but on Monday some preseason games began to trickle out, including a pair against the Boston Celtics on Oct. 10 (away, 8 p.m.) and Oct. 16 (home, 7 p.m.). Both games will likely air on NBC Sports Philadelphia, but could be promoted to a national network.
And that’s assuming James even plays in the preseason.
At 41, James could opt to wait until the regular season opener to make his Sixers debut, although he has played in recent years, with the exception of last season when he also missed the first 14 regular-season games with sciatica.
Shooting guard: VJ Edgecombe, Anfernee Simons, Dalen Terry
Small forward: Jaylen Brown, Justin Edwards, Jabari Walker
Power forward: LeBron James, Dean Wade, Dominick Barlow
Center: Joel Embiid, Adem Bona, Ariel Hukporti, Johni Broome
// Timestamp 07/24/26 11:32am
Mike Gansey first earned LeBron’s respect as a player
A photo of Mike Gansey (far right) and LeBron James (to the left of Gansey) that originially appeared in the Plain Dealer. Gansey and James both played high school in Ohio.Courtesy of Steve Gansey
By now you’ve probably seen the picture. It was taken in 2000, and was on the front page of the Cleveland Plain Dealer’s sports section. Ten high school basketball players from Northeast Ohio stood side by side, in their respective jerseys.
The group had been voted by coaches and athletics directors as the best players in the region. There was Maverick Carter and Chester Mason (“Chet the Jet”) toward the left. Brian Swift was closer to the middle, alongside Mike Patrick.
But what caught everyone’s attention was to the far right: future Sixers president of basketball operations Mike Gansey, of Olmsted Falls High School, alongside future Hall of Famer LeBron James, of St. Vincent-St. Mary.
Gansey was a junior at the time; James was a freshman. Steve Gansey, Mike’s younger brother, posted the photo on X on July 1, with an eyeball emoji, promptly setting the Sixers fan base ablaze with speculation.
Before long, it received hundreds of retweets. Sixers fans sent Gansey direct messages asking if he had any information on whether James would consider coming to Philadelphia.
The truth is that James and Gansey never competed against each other on their high school teams. Olmsted Falls and St. Vincent-St. Mary were in different regions.
Olmsted Falls, which is on the west side of Cleveland, was grouped with schools in northwest Ohio, closer to Toledo. St. Vincent-St. Mary’s is south of Cleveland, and often played schools in the Akron-Canton area. It is possible they overlapped playing AAU ball, but if they did, Steve didn’t hear about it.
Despite their lack of competitive overlap, James and Mike Gansey shared a mutual respect. Over the years, Gansey frequently referred to the future Hall of Famer as the “greatest of all time.”
And James thought highly of the future executive, too. One time, when Gansey was playing in Europe, and James was in the midst of his first stint with the Cavaliers, the two brothers went to a game at Quicken Loans Arena (now Rocket Arena).
Gansey knew some of Cleveland’s players, from training with them during the summer, and went down to the tunnel to say hello.
“And we were probably 100 feet from where LeBron and his people were talking,” Steve recalled. “Someone said, ‘Ganz is over there.’ And LeBron totally walked the opposite way of where he was going, and went to dap up Mike, to say, ‘What’s up, hey man, how you doing?’ Just a quick hello.
“It just shows you the respect. And I was like, ‘Man, Mike, he really walked 100 feet over here, and just dapped you, and walked directly right back. That’s pretty cool.’ And Mike’s like, ‘Yeah, yeah, he’s a great guy,’ and that was it. I’ll always remember that.”
The Bron-O-Meter now officially reads: “It’s on!”Sam Morris
From the asterisk next to Tyrese Maxey’s name on Rich Paul’s white board to LeBron James saying he wants to “trust the process” — and from Steve Gansey’s viral picture to Tyrese Haliburton asking James if this was his 76th season — there have been no shortage of Easter eggs pointing to King James ultimately signing with the Sixers.
Were some of them random coincidences? Sure. Were some chum in the water for Sixers fans starving for a title? You bet. We may never know which was which, but you can recap it all — and see how each moment impacted his chances of ending up in Philly — with our patented Bron-O-Meter.
LeBron James, 41, is entering his 24th NBA season.Katie Chin
The 76ers had already shocked the NBA by acquiring Jaylen Brown in a blockbuster trade on July 2. They just one-upped themselves.
LeBron James, a legendary player and one of the most famous humans on planet Earth, is coming to Philly. According to ESPN, he agreed to a two-year contract with the Sixers on Friday in one of the more improbable roster additions in franchise history.
The second monumental move in a month further illustrates that the Sixers are making the all-in push toward championship contention in the Eastern Conference, joining a Toronto Raptors team that has reacquired Kawhi Leonard and a Miami Heat team that traded for Giannis Antetokounmpo in recent days.
New Sixers president of basketball operations Mike Gansey has now assembled a starting five featuring arguably the best player of all time in James, a former NBA Most Valuable Player in Joel Embiid, a five-time All-Star in his prime in Brown, and ascending guards Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe. And James was willing to take a veteran’s minimum contract to join this group.
A Heat spokesperson told multiple outlets it was a mistake by the organization’s social media team, which prepared the livestream in the event James chose to return to Miami. That is believable, considering that, since July 2, The Inquirer has had versions of breaking news stories ready for whenever James chooses the 76ers or another team.
That firework broke up the LeBron-related nothingness of recent days.
The all-time great did not announce his new destination during multiple public appearances at Fanatics Fest in New York City late last week, even after some light coaxing by fellow NBA star and podcast guest Tyrese Haliburton. The rumblings that James’ announcement would come early this week — aka, after the World Cup final — were incorrect. And agent Rich Paul said on his Game Over podcast released Monday that James would not rush his decision.
“It’s his choice to make,” Paul said of James. “And when he makes the choice, he’ll make it.”
So we are now officially more than three weeks into the waiting game. Much longer than James’ nationally televised — and vilified — 2010 decision to leave the Cleveland Cavaliers to take his talents to South Beach (July 8). Or when he announced his triumphant return to Cleveland in a 2014 letter published in Sports Illustrated (July 11). Or when Paul’s agency, Klutch Sports, sent out a 2018 news release that James would sign with the Los Angeles Lakers (July 1).
LeBron James has not picked a free-agency destination after three weeks of contemplation. Charles Fox / Staff Photographer
It is not only holding up the Sixers, but much of the league.
James is no longer a perennial MVP contender, but still an All-Star-caliber player at age 41, and essentially has halted the second wave of free agency. Teams that still believe they are in contention to land James — which also are desirable options for other veterans and role players looking to win — are holding a roster spot for him. When James makes his pick, the teams that do not land him will move on to players still in limbo, which includes the likes of DeMar DeRozan and Jonathan Kuminga.
That Paul has said money is not a factor for James — aka, that he will take a minimum contract — eliminates the urgency during the early free-agency flurry, when salary cap space and players are at a premium.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver even acknowledged last week that James’ decision is delaying the creation of the 2026-27 NBA schedule — which typically is released in mid-August — because his longstanding popularity demands that his team play in premier television matchups.
August also is when a mostly around-the-clock league goes on hiatus until Labor Day, when players reconvene at their team facilities for informal workouts before training camps begin in late September.
That period is when staffers — from front-facing executives and coaches, to important behind-the-scenes figures — plan vacations following months of nontraditional work schedules that require extensive travel and consistent nights and weekends. New Sixers president of basketball operations Mike Gansey told The Inquirer at Las Vegas Summer League earlier this month that he has barely seen his four children since taking this job and that his family still needs to find a home in the Philly area. Some might scoff at feeling empathy toward the wealthy in high-profile NBA jobs, but these still are people.
“I just need a break,” said Gansey, whose whirlwind start with the Sixers also included the blockbuster trade for All-NBA wing Jaylen Brown. “I think we all do, just because [this offseason has] been so much.”
The most cynical also could say that James is doing all of this for content for Paul’s podcast or for sheer attention after a somewhat awkward end to his Lakers tenure once the team shockingly acquired Luka Dončić in February 2025 and signed Austin Reaves to a four-year, $185 million maximum contract. This saga surely will be a prominent component of a James documentary that reportedly has been in the works for years. It is evidence of the power James possesses as a cultural icon and stellar player, even entering his league-record 24th season.
Sixers president of basketball operations Mike Gansey has selected first-round draft pick Labaron Philon Jr., and traded for All-Star Jaylen Brown in his first summer in Philly. Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer
Yet Gansey said he understood the gravity of James’ choice. This is a basketball legend determining his (likely) final on-court act.
“I have all the respect in the world for him, and he’s smart as heck,” said Gansey, a fellow Ohioan who previously worked his way up the Cavaliers’ front office. “He’s going to figure it out and talk to his family. … Whatever he decides, I know he’s going to make the right decision.”
So the Sixers — and the rest of the NBA — will continue to wait.
LAS VEGAS — Jaylen Brown has made one brief Sixers appearance, sitting courtside for Saturday’s Summer League game.
Still, the acquisition of the All-NBA wing was one of the more prominent topics throughout his new team’s stay in Las Vegas. There were entertaining stories about how various Sixers found out about the blockbuster trade, illustrating how stunning the move was even to those close to it. And there was excitement for how Brown is expected to enhance a talented roster now with realistic aspirations to contend.
Edgecombe was in his native Bahamas — and at a spa — when he accidentally missed multiple calls from Sixers executive vice president of basketball operations Jameer Nelson.
Then, when he saw a text from Nelson asking to call him as soon as possible, Edgecombe got nervous.
“I was like, ‘Man, it’s free agency, why you calling me so much?’” Edgecombe recalled. “I thought I was gone.”
VJ Edgecombe and Jaylen Brown will be the defensive pillars of the Sixers. Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
The actual news Nelson wanted to share — that the trade for Brown was about to happen — still “shocked” Edgecombe, calling it “the last thing I expected.” Edgecombe also described it as “bittersweet” because of the quick rapport he developed with the outgoing Paul George, but said he is eager to play with Brown while at the “peak of his career.”
Justin Edwards
This trade was kept so under wraps that even Edwards did not catch wind of it while at the Sixers’ facility on the day it popped.
Edwards had just finished a pool conditioning workout and glanced at the television on a sports program dissecting all the league-wide offseason moves. And did a double-take.
“They were talking about Jaylen Brown and PG, but I didn’t pay attention to it,” Edwards said. “I [saw] it, but I looked away. Then I looked again. I’m like, ‘Oh, snap!’ So I called ’Rese [Tyrese Maxey] and he was like, ‘Yeah, man, I knew since this morning.’ I’m like, ‘That’s crazy.’”
Dean Wade
Wade had already agreed to sign with the Sixers as a free agent the night before the Brown trade. Wade said he was intrigued by a brief “rumor” he heard about the possibility of such a move, but believed it had died out. Then, “all of a sudden, out of nowhere, it just kind of popped back up and it was a done deal.”
As a versatile wing defender who has played his entire career in the Eastern Conference, Wade has plenty of first-hand experience with trying to counter Brown’s offensive prowess and “edge.” He called Brown “definitely one of the toughest people I’ve had to guard. Especially last year, he was just a monster.”
“He gets to his spots [on the court],” Wade said. “It doesn’t really matter if you’re there or not. If you don’t block it, it’s going in, probably. … His size and his athleticism and his skill, they all go hand-in-hand.
“He’s hard to stay in front of. And then he’s also a lot stronger than people think. So he gives you a little bump in the paint [and] it’s kind of hard to recover from that.”
Labaron Philon Jr.
The rookie guard said he was not overly shocked when he heard about the trade because he prides himself on keeping his emotions in check. But he knows Brown is going to be a valuable resource during his first NBA season.
“He has that championship DNA,” Philon said. “I feel like, as a young guy, that’s somebody you want to look up to [and] somebody you want to learn from. Somebody that’s already been in that moment, he can help all the other guys too that haven’t reached that level yet [and] help us get over that hump.
“With him coming in, I feel like it’s going to be special. We’re going to go at it at practice. He’s going to push me. I’m going to try to push him to the next level.”
Anfernee Simons
Simons is joining a new team in the Sixers, but reuniting with a former teammate in Brown. They played together with the Celtics for part of last season, before Simons was traded to the Chicago Bulls at the February deadline.
Simons called Brown “kind of the epitome” of a two-way player.
“He’s going to guard the best [opposing] player and go out there and give you 30 [points],” Simons said during his first media availability as a Sixer. “That’s what makes him special, what makes him different.
“So he’s going to come in and bring that championship mentality from Day 1 and try to instill that in the team.”
Mike Gansey
The Sixers’ new president of basketball operations landed Brown by following advice he learned while working his way up the Cleveland Cavaliers’ front office: Make the call. Gansey then aimed to assuage Brown’s initial shock about being traded to the rival Sixers with this simple message: “I want you on my team.”
“I’ve watched him against Cleveland, and he’s always killed us,” Gansey said. “ … We’re just super lucky to get him, and I know he’s motivated. He’s going to be great for everyone because the young guys want that. He’s been a champion and Finals MVP. I think Joel [Embiid is] in a great space and he’s excited, as well.
Mike Gansey shared a simple message with Jaylen Brown after the blockbuster trade: “I want you on my team.”Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer
“Obviously, we’ve got to see what it looks like. You can’t win a trade in July. … Until we actually have a practice or a game, you just don’t know. You hope it’s going to work out, but it’ll take some time, I’m sure.
“I would have never envisioned this, when I’m sitting there [for my introductory news conference in early June]. … Just opportunities arise. And that’s why, this business, you can plan all you want and prepare, but you just don’t know. Things happen.”
Dalen Terry
Terry was taking a nap — with his cell phone and his baby daughter resting on his chest — when the calls and messages about the trade started pouring in.
“I’m like, ‘Am I still on the team?!’” Terry said once he checked his phone. “ … I’m like, ‘OK, who was it for?’ They said PG [and] I’m like, ‘Dang …’
“I was just thinking about PG the whole time. Then I was like, ‘Wait, we got Jaylen Brown.’”
The Sixers’ coach praised Brown’s versatility on both ends of the floor, along with his competitiveness and winning pedigree.
“You watch him get a lot better from year to year to year,” Nurse said, “and how much harder that became to game plan for him. … He’s sitting in his prime. It’s amazing that he’s going to be a Sixer.”
T.J. DiLeo
When asked about Brown sitting courtside for Saturday’s Summer League game, DiLeo had a confession.
“Can I tell you the truth?” the summer Sixers’ coach said. “I didn’t even see him. I try not to look over there that much, but that is amazing to have him here. … The guys seeing him, obviously, that’s great. That’s what we’re looking for with our team, just the support of one another, the support of the organization. So that’s really cool that he [was] here, man.
“I wish [I’d seen] him now. I probably [would have] looked over and would have shook his hand afterward, or something.”
LAS VEGAS — LeBron James has been everywhere — and nowhere — during the NBA Summer League.
It has been more than two weeks since the all-time great told the Los Angeles Lakers that he will play somewhere else during the 2026-27 season. Yet as the NBA’s prominent figures converged in Sin City, more speculation than actual insight has percolated about where that next destination will be — and the 76ers’ status as a contender.
New president of basketball operations Mike Gansey acknowledged to The Inquirer on Tuesday morning that his team is “waiting, like the rest of the NBA” for James’ decision. Young standout VJ Edgecombe beamed when asked Monday about his team’s pursuit of James, but added, “If we do get him, I’m happy. If we don’t, I’m still happy.”
Elsewhere, a conversation among league followers and participants earlier in the week led to pondering if James would make his choice on Wednesday — aka, the annual dead day in the American sports calendar following the MLB All-Star Game (spoiler: he did not). Perhaps James’ scheduled appearances at Fanatics Fest NYC on Thursday and Friday will be the stage for such an announcement.
During this leaguewide wait — which has mostly put the second wave of free agency on hold — on-court basketball things still have occurred.
Labaron Philon Jr., the Sixers’ first-round draft pick, has demonstrated why this new-look front office believed it could not pass on him at No. 22. Second-year big man Johni Broome has recovered from knee surgery, and has flashed interior dominance in an environment where he should thrive. Quintessential Summer League stories have emerged from the Sixers’ team.
Here are some final nuggets from The Inquirer’s stay in Las Vegas:
Philon’s creativity
Philon has been a fearless shot-maker, averaging 19.7 points and sinking 38.9% of his six three-point attempts in his first three Summer League games before Wednesday’s 7-of-24 clunker from the floor (1-of-13 from beyond the arc) against the Orlando Magic.
Perhaps even more impressive has been the rookie’s sharp ballhandling and passing, especially with a team that was assembled quickly. His more “freestyle” or “backyard-type” moments, he said, draw inspiration from Jason Williams and Kyrie Irving.
Sixers first-round draft pick Labaron Philon Jr. has flashed offensive creativity at NBA Summer League. Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer
“Just being able to make one move and go,” Philon said, “I feel like that will be important for me with better defenders and stronger guys [in the NBA]. Just being able to have that creativity is important. … I don’t really see a lot of young guards with that kind of creativity.”
Dalen Terry’s daughter steals the spotlight
A massive Sixers contingent sat courtside for Tuesday’s game against the Houston Rockets, including owner Josh Harris, Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment president Bob Myers, front office executives Gansey, Jameer Nelson, and Prosper Karangwa, and players Edgecombe, Dominick Barlow, and Justin Edwards.
Significant Sixers contingent here for this afternoon’s game, including owner Josh Harris pic.twitter.com/LEUhycVZ0i
Yet Dalen Terry’s baby daughter may have been the most popular person on the team’s version of celebrity row.
“This is something I’ve always dreamed of, just having my kids here,” Terry said. “I want her to be able to see a picture of her on my lap asleep during the game. In 10 years, she’ll be like, ‘I was there?!’ [I’ll be] like, ‘You were right there on TV and everybody was talking about you.’”
After signing a two-way contract with the Sixers following the February trade deadline — which was converted to a standard deal late in the regular season — the team picked up Terry’s $2.6 million option for the 2026-27 season. The 24-year-old guard said he had “no doubts” the Sixers would re-up with him, though his deal is nonguaranteed until Jan. 10.
The Sixers picked up Dalen Terry’s (left) $2.6 million option for the 2026-27 seasonMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Terry added that he has spent this offseason drilling his shooting, what he called the “biggest knock” on his game with career splits of 44.3/31.4/63.8 in four NBA seasons. He also found value in experiencing the playoffs for the first time — even while playing the final minutes of the New York Knicks’ dominant sweep of the Sixers.
“You see the rotations get shorter,” Terry said. “Everything is just so much more compact. Every mistake matters. … It was crazy to just see how intense the games were. It was almost like college, the Final Four every game.”
Meet ‘Big Fish’
During a timeout in Thursday’s opener against the Detroit Pistons, Isaac Johnson had this message for his new teammates: “Welcome to Vegas. You can make a lot more money than at the tables right now.”
Meet one of Summer League’s more colorful characters.
Johnson, a 7-foot, mustache-sporting center originally from Utah, is nicknamed “Big Fish” because of a middle school inside joke between him and a much-shorter friend that stuck. He became a fan favorite during a winding-yet-successful college career that took him to Oregon, then to Utah State, then to Hawaii. While at Utah State, Johnson had a name, image, and likeness deal with local fast-food chain Arctic Circle, creating a milkshake with the Swedish Fish candy.
“I love people, and I love genuine people,” Johnson said of why he naturally connects with fan bases. “So I try to be as genuine as I can. I’m one that hopefully gives more than I take.”
In Las Vegas, the undrafted Johnson said he hoped to demonstrate team-first defensive qualities such as helping on screens, protecting the rim, and boxing out.
And to shoot the ball when he is open.
Isaac Johnson (center) played for three schools across five collegiate seasons and landed with the Sixers’ Summer League team.Craig Mitchelldyer
That was on full display in the Sixers’ first win over the Pistons. He scored 20 points in 20 minutes and went 4-of-6 from beyond the arc, including a falling four-point play that prompted an enthusiastic scream upon hitting the deck.
“I’m usually a very logical person, so I don’t react in any negative ways,” Johnson said. “But as long as it’s energy-giving, my emotions are very big. So you can see that in my celebrations.”
Matt Rogers’ road back
Matt Rogers drilled a corner three-pointer late in Saturday’s overtime win over the Indiana Pacers, right in front of new Sixer Jaylen Brown.
It was not only a highlight moment for an undrafted player using Summer League to “try to get my name out there” for opportunities in the U.S. and abroad. It was evidence of Rogers’ road back from a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his knee, which sidelined him for about 16 months.
“I’m just blessed to be out here,” said Rogers, who starred at American University before his injury. “ … I’m just happy to be out here and showcase my skills again.”
Rogers scored 17 points on 7-of-8 shooting in Saturday’s victory and complemented that outside shooting with productive cuts to the basket.
“He makes smart plays,” Sixers summer league coach T.J. DiLeo said of Rogers. “He’s in the right spot. He takes what’s given to him.”
Quotable
Johnson on Philon’s game: “He might be the steal in this draft, I’m not going to lie. Too many teams let him slip. For him to fall here? He is incredible. How quick he is. How tight his handle is. How he’s able to shoot the ball [and get] down the lane. His passing instincts. He honestly might be the steal of the draft, and I’ll say that very confidently.”
