The biggest question of the NBA offseason now has an answer; LeBron James has selected the team for which he will play during the 2026-27 NBA season.
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According to Shams Charania, Klutch CEO and Game Over show host Rich Paul has informed ESPN that James has agreed to a two-year deal with the Philadelphia 76ers. This deal is worth $8 million, and it includes a player option.
This deal with the Philadelphia 76ers marks the fourth team that James has joined in his Hall of Fame career. He previously played for the Cleveland Cavaliers on two separate occasions, and he won a championship with his home team in 2015-16.
James also spent four seasons with the Miami Heat (2010-14). He led the team to consecutive NBA titles in 2011-12 and 2012-13.
He most recently spent eight seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers (2018-26). He led the team to a championship in 2019-20, and he won NBA Finals MVP for the fourth time in his career. He set the all-time record for games played (1,622), minutes played (61,030), and points (43,440).
The 22-time All-Star will now take on a tougher task. He will join a Philadelphia 76ers team that hasn't won a title since the 1982-83 season. The 76ers have only reached the NBA Finals one time since this championship (2000-01). They lost that series to the Lakers.
The 76ers have reached the Eastern Conference Semifinals eight times but have failed to return to the NBA Finals. They will try to snap this streak while joining forces with James.
Why did he choose the 76ers? Multiple possibilities exist. Paul, his agent, said throughout this process that he was prioritizing "happiness" over money.
Multiple members of the organization also worked on James while trying to convince him to head back east. This group included players Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid. It also included Jaylen Brown, who landed with the team via trade over the offseason.
Bob Myers, the president of the 76ers' parent company, also made a pitch when he sat down on Paul's podcast, Game Over.
"If (James) was here, I'd say, 'I honestly believe this is your best chance to win. You have to decide all the other things that are equally important,'" Myers said during the appearance.
"What I would just say is, 'If it's about winning, let's talk about this team. Because you can win here in Philadelphia.'"
