Free agency's biggest domino finally settles on Friday after LeBron James signed a two-year, $8 million deal with a player option to join the Philadelphia 76ers, a fraction of the $52 million-plus he earned with the Los Angeles Lakers last season. He's walking into his 24th NBA campaign chasing one thing: a ring before he chose ultimate father time.
Philly had already reshaped its roster on July 6, sending Paul George and two first-round picks to the Boston Celtics for All-NBA forward and former Finals MVP Jaylen Brown. That trade alone had NBA insiders buzzing about the 76ers as legitimate East threats. James' decision just poured gas on it.
ESPN's panel of NBA reporters released updated offseason power rankings following the signing, where Philadelphia checks in at No. 5 overall, up from No. 12 in the preseason rankings. They pointed to the motivation behind the overhaul, writing that getting swept by the New York Knicks in the second round last postseason left Philadelphia's front office with no patience for standing pat, and the roster response reflects that.
Oklahoma City and San Antonio Spurs hold the top two spots in the league, while Denver Nuggets sit at number four. This places the Knicks at number three overall and makes them the top team in the Eastern Conference. So, the Sixers follow closely as the clear number two in the East, moving them ahead of Boston, Cleveland, and the rest of the conference.
Head coach Nick Nurse now has to figure out how to make Brown and James fit into the team. At the same time, he still needs to give Tyrese Maxey plenty of room to play, develop second-year guard VJ Edgecombe, and keep Joel Embiid healthy. Philadelphia spent the whole summer making these moves just to see if they can gel fast enough to beat the Knicks.
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