LeBron James has finally made his latest decision, one that he says will be his last.
The NBA's all-time scoring leader announced on social media Friday afternoon that he will be signing with the 76ers, with multiple reports claiming the deal to be for two years with a player option after year one. Suddenly, the Knicks could have a new legit threat in the East now that the Sixers have added James and Jaylen Brown in one offseason.
Of course, New York looked light years better than Philly in the playoffs last year, running away with a four-game sweep that saw two games won by 30 points or more, including a clinching game four beatdown in Philadelphia. The 76ers are banking on the addition of James, the Brown for Paul George swap, and replacing Kelly Oubre with Dean Wade will be enough to go toe-to-toe with the defending champs.
A lot will have to go right for the Sixers to realize their full potential. As always, health will be a massive concern, as it always is with Joel Embiid. James will turn 42 years old this season and missed time to injury/load management multiple times with the Lakers last season. How this Philly team holds up physically come playoff time, and in a grueling seven-game series, will be a major test.
James' arrival to Philadelphia also opens the door for multiple primetime matchups against the Knicks this season. Commissioner Adam Silver candidly admitted that the league was waiting on James to decide where he was signing before finalizing the 2026-27 schedule, and now that it's Philly, we could certainly see James and the Sixers visiting Madison Square Garden on some of the biggest dates on the NBA calendar. It is certainly not out of the question, or perhaps bordering on likely, that the Knicks host the Sixers on opening night when they raise their championship banner, or perhaps on Christmas Day.
The Knicks are still the odds-on favorite to repeat as Eastern Conference Champions, but LeBron signing with the Sixers at least makes the road a tougher one. It also adds loads of intrigue to New York's quest to repeat, and the NBA season as a whole.
The Eastern Conference just got a LOT more interesting.
The Eastern Conference just got a LOT more interesting.
