On Friday, July 24th, the Philadelphia 76ers made their biggest splash of the offseason, signing LeBron James to a two-year $8 million contract. James was rumored to sign with the Sixers back in 2018, but fast-forward eight years later, and he is on the team. James joins a squad that already features Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, Joel Embiid and newly acquired star Jaylen Brown from the Boston Celtics.
General manager Mike Gansey has done a phenomenal job with the 76ers, as he traded for Brown and signed James in the same month. James was ultimately down to the Miami Heat, Cleveland Cavaliers, Golden State Warriors, and 76ers and ended up choosing Philadelphia.
James was seen using the phrase “Trust The Process” several times at the Fanatics Fest in New York City. For those who don’t know, Trust The Process has been the Sixers phrase used for a long time throughout the process and struggles over the years, and James saying this immediately caught fans attention. But now it comes down to the big question everyone is wondering: can the Sixers stay healthy? With that being said, we now take a look at how this signing massively impacts the Sixers.
The Signing of LeBron James
Breaking Down the Signing For Both the 76ers and James
James is set to join the 76ers on a two-year deal instead of a one-year deal, which may be the most surprising part because it was widely expected for him to retire after this season. This move benefits the 76ers because they needed a power forward and got potentially the greatest player of all time, and while he may be past his prime, he can still dominate, but he has a ton of talent around him with Maxey, Edgecombe, Brown and Embiid.
It also benefits the 76ers because Embiid has even less pressure on him to remain healthy and score a lot; it is definitely still important he stays healthy, but this team does not need him to play at an All-Star level to win anymore. After acquiring James, the 76ers prove they are all in and are ready to change the narrative and bring home a ring. As for James, this move benefits his ring-chasing mindset and will be around plenty of stars to help him out. That brings us to the next benefit for James: he will not have to do it all and can easily be the fourth option.
James’s Other Considerations and His Time in LA; Caldwell-Pope to Sixers
James played for the Los Angeles Lakers for eight seasons and won the NBA “bubble” championship during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. As mentioned, James also considered the Golden State Warriors, Miami Heat, and Cleveland Cavaliers as the main targets besides Philadelphia to land James.
Around Midnight Eastern Time on July 25th, the 76ers then signed Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to give their bench another guy who can shoot and defend at a high level after he completed a buyout with the Memphis Grizzlies. Pope’s only issue is his age and if he slows down, but the 76ers depth is so deep that it more than likely not cause issues. Pope provides defense, which is the big struggle for the Sixers, and to be able to sign him and James in the same day while also trading for Brown in the same month deserves a lot of credit.
Gansey is in his first offseason and already has started the fireworks. The 76ers continue to get scarier and scarier, and this is a team that, if healthy, could win the NBA Finals.
Do you think the 76ers signing James can put the 76ers over the hump?
Main Image: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
