LeBron James is a free agent no longer, and no, we aren’t getting a reunion. NBA insider Shams Charania reports James is signing with the Philadelphia 76ers.
“LeBron James is signing with the Philadelphia 76ers on a two-year, $8 million deal with a player option, Klutch Sports Group and Klutch CEO and Game Over show host Rich Paul tells ESPN,” Charania wrote.
James then also took to X to share that he was considering retirement, but ultimately decided to return, and that he believes he can turn the 76ers into a championship team.
“I thought I was done when the season ended,” James wrote. “I wasn’t ready to announce it, and I knew I needed some time to really decide, but I was pretty sure I played my last game. I was honest at that last press conference when I said I needed to look at myself and deicide if I still love this game. I still truly love this game, and I have more to give.
“The last few weeks have really been special,” James continued. “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,” James added. “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,” James concluded.
James is joining a stacked 76ers team that includes Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and Jaylen Brown. They had made their first big splash by acquiring Brown from the Boston Celtics and have now made another.
The 76ers were among the reported leading suitors for James, along with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Golden State Warriors, Miami Heat, and Minnesota Timberwolves. It was later revealed that the 41-year-old was likely headed to the Eastern Conference.
The Heat and the Cavaliers were seen as the favorites, as they were James’ former teams. Going back home to Cleveland or down to South Beach were both seen as enticing options, but James decided Philadelphia was where he wanted to go.
It was reported that Embiid, Maxey, and Brown had all recruited James to the 76ers. Maxey, a fellow Klutch Sports Group client, was the one leading the charge, and they succeeded.
The 76ers are getting a James who averaged 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, 7.2 assists, 1.2 steals, and 0.6 blocks per game for the Los Angeles Lakers in 2025-26. The 22-time All-Star isn’t the dominating force he once was, but remains a very good player.
The 76ers last made the NBA Finals in 2001, and James will be backing himself to end that drought and win the franchise its first title since 1983.
