LeBron James spent this whole summer with the entire league guessing. Cleveland, Miami, the Warriors, Minnesota, Denver. Everybody had a theory. Nobody had him locked in.
Then the Philadelphia 76ers pulled off a trade that changed the entire conversation, and suddenly the Sixers were the team everybody couldn’t stop talking about.
LeBron James Signs With 76ers, Shams Charania Explains Why
GettyLeBron James
Shams Charania broke down exactly how Philadelphia went from an afterthought to LeBron’s actual landing spot, and it all traces back to one trade.
“But this clearly for LeBron James, he looked at the rosters in Philadelphia after the Jaylen Brown trade. Remember, guys, like the Sixers were not even in the picture, were not on the map until Bob Myers and Mike Gansey went out there and traded for Jaylen Brown. So you have Tyrese Maxey, you have VJ Edgecombe, you have Jaylen Brown and Joel Embiid.”
Once that roster came together, Charania explained, LeBron weighed it against Cleveland and Miami before landing on Philadelphia for a historic 24th season, signing a two-year deal that carries a player option for a possible 25th.
Charania also broke down the human side of it, the relationships that made this feel like more than just a business decision.
“And this is about Bob Myers and Mike Gansey and a few of their players from Tyrese Maxey, Jaylen Brown, Joel Embiid, all calling LeBron James, having relationships with LeBron James specifically Tyrese Maxey and selling them on that vision that it was about winning.”
LeBron backed up that story himself when he made the decision official. He turned down bigger paydays elsewhere and signed for near the veteran minimum, proving the choice really was about chasing a championship and not a check.
What Changed Everything For LeBron And The Sixers
GettyJaylen Brown hugs LeBron James. The two superstars will now join forces on the Philadelphia 76ers, enraging Celtics fans.
The trade with Boston that sent Paul George and draft capital to the Celtics for Jaylen Brown is where all of this really started. That single move reshuffled the entire free agency race overnight.
Brown even took matters into his own hands. During a World Cup livestream with streamer IShowSpeed, he jokingly told him to pass along a message. “You gotta tell LeBron he gotta pull up, man. Pull up to Philly.” Speed ran with it live on camera.
Bob Myers made a pitch on Rich Paul’s podcast, telling the Klutch Sports Group CEO that Philadelphia gave LeBron his best shot at winning one more ring. Myers even defended the Brown trade against critics, pointing out that Brown already has a Finals MVP to his name.
LeBron’s own statement backed up the storyline. He said he wanted to compete and chase that winning feeling again, not chase a paycheck. The two-year, eight million dollar deal with a player option shows he meant it.
Now LeBron heads into his 24th season next to Maxey, Edgecombe, Brown, and Embiid, with a real shot at a 25th if things go well. The Sixers went from an afterthought to the team that landed the King.
LeBron James Almost Skipped 76ers, Until One Trade Changed His Mind