Why did LeBron James choose the Philadelphia 76ers in free agency? The answer is starting to come into focus days after James made his “final decision.” Here’s what we know so far.
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LeBron wanted his best chance to win a fifth championship: He decided Philly was a better option to get there than Miami, Cleveland, and Golden State. The opportunity to win another ring took precedent over a reunion with one of his former teams, playing with Steph Curry, or anything else.
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LeBron wanted to play with a fellow Klutch client: Tyrese Maxey is also represented by Rich Paul, and it sure seems like that played into James’ decision. Paul said that Cleveland’s decision to trade Darius Garland last season hurt their chances to land LeBron. It’s no coincidence that the Sixers signed fellow Klutch client Kentavious Caldwell-Pope shortly after LeBron agreed to terms.
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LeBron wants to live in New York: Paul said that LeBron would have signed with the Knicks if they didn’t win the 2026 NBA championship, and I believe him. There are already rumors that James is going to live in New York City and take a helicopter to games in Philly.
The Jaylen Brown point is particularly fascinating, and not just because Brown was once caught saying he didn’t think Bronny James was an NBA player.
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The Celtics shopped Brown all over the league this summer. The best deal they could get was one from Philadelphia that felt hugely underwhelming at the time. Boston had to take back Paul George’s albatross contract, and got two first-round picks, one of which may turn into a swap instead. I’ve significantly warmed on the trade from the Celtics’ perspective, in part because lead executive Brad Stevens is one of the best in the league. If Stevens didn’t want Brown — and if 28 other teams didn’t really want him, either — then maybe winning with him on his current contract is a lot more difficult than most fans and media believe.
LeBron disagrees. He wouldn’t have gone to Philly without Brown, and heck, he might be in Cleveland or Miami or Golden State right now if one of those teams had traded for him instead. James’ greatest strength might be his basketball IQ, but there’s a reason why superstar players often don’t make great executives. Even if LeBron is a ultimate ball knower, the fit between him and Brown could be clunky even before we get to Brown’s massive cap hit.
Brown obviously had an excellent season in a high-usage role with the Celtics last year, but there are a few truths about his game that Philly will have to overcome. He’s never been a good off-ball defender, and tends to give up a lot of easy points by getting back cut. He’s not a good spot-up three-point shooter after only hitting 31% of his catch-and-shoots triples last year. Brown also has the ball a lot but rarely passes. This graph shows “average seconds per touch” vs. “percentage of touches that end with a pass.” As you can see, Brown doesn’t like to give up the rock. If he gets the ball, he’s either shooting or turning it over.
Brown called last season his favorite year of his career, probably because he got to take a lot of shots with Jayson Tatum out. It was a strange quote for a player who won an NBA championship and was named NBA Finals MVP during Boston’s 2024 run to the title. If Brown thought he was getting his own team after the trade to Philly, you can now make the case that he’s actually the fourth option.
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The players who need to adjust their game the most after LeBron’s decision are Brown and Embiid. Brown needs to become a better spot-up shooter, a more willing passer, a more attentive off-ball defender, and someone who can find “opportunistic” buckets on cuts and offensive rebounds. Embiid needs to stay as close to “healthy” as possible first and foremost, but then he needs to focus more of his energy on being a monster rim protector, and less on being a great low post scorer.
The NBA didn’t really want Jaylen Brown at his salary. The analytics think he’s overrated and overpaid. LeBron disagrees, and he chose Philly largely because Brown was there.
Brown at $57 million this year might not be a great value, but you know what is? Brown and James for a combined $61 million. That’s what Philly has now, and the team is convinced it gives them a real shot at the 2027 championship.
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