The Philadelphia 76ers’ path to LeBron James was never going to be simple. It took a chain reaction across the league, with several teams helping shape the veteran forward’s decision to keep playing after his two-year deal with the Los Angeles Lakers ran out.
The first big push came in the 2026 NBA Playoffs. LeBron entered the opening round carrying a badly short-handed Lakers roster, one that would be without Austin Reaves for part of the postseason and Luka Doncic for the whole run.
Most around the league expected Houston to end it quickly, but the Lakers shocked the Rockets in four wins, with James rolling back the years to lead the way. Rich Paul later said he believed that series helped convince LeBron to continue.
Then came the Oklahoma City Thunder, who delivered the kind of ending many thought the Rockets would provide. The defending champions swept the Lakers and made the point plain: Los Angeles wasn’t healthy enough or good enough to keep up.
Even that didn’t push LeBron toward retirement. He wasn’t willing to finish on that note.
Once free agency arrived, the Sixers also had to catch a break from the Golden State Warriors’ side of the picture. When LeBron told the Lakers he was not returning, the early buzz made Golden State look like the team to beat. But the Warriors’ pursuit depended on one very specific move - trading for Anthony Davis - and the Washington Wizards weren’t willing to make that happen.
That mattered for Philadelphia. If the Wizards had helped send the 10-time All-Star to Golden State, LeBron likely would not have been waiting around while the Sixers made their own major move for Jaylen Brown.
And that Brown deal turned out to be a huge part of the story. The Celtics were willing to part with him in a package centered on Paul George, just months after LeBron had pushed Brown’s MVP case.
The Sixers had just been swept in the second round of the 2026 playoffs with Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid, and George, and they were set to run it back before Boston’s willingness to move Brown changed the picture. It also meant the Celtics helped a bitter rival land one of the players their fan base least wanted to see in Philadelphia.
There was one more twist, and it came from Cleveland. On February 4, the Cavaliers made a move that involved James Harden, who had spent two seasons with the Sixers before being traded to the Los Angeles Clippers. That deal also sent Darius Garland to LA, and that absence appears to have mattered to LeBron.
"Some will say Harden's role as Cleveland's point guard affected James' decision, but there is more nuance than that. It's not that the Cavs having Harden was a factor, sources said, but rather who the Cavs did not have," ESPN's Brian Windhorst wrote. "To get Harden from the LA Clippers in February, the Cavs traded Darius Garland, a Klutch-repped point guard with whom James has had a yearslong relationship."
For a while, Cleveland looked like the favorite to land James for a third stint. Instead, that patience never paid off, and a move from five months earlier may have closed the door before the race even really began.
In Other News...
76ers Just Flipped Another Offseason Assumption With Surprise Roster Call
Philadelphias offseason roster math has taken another turn, and this one points toward Jabari Walker sticking around longer than many around the league expected. The 76ers had a straightforward way to create room, but instead of treating Walkers non-fully guaranteed deal like the obvious odd man out, the front office appears to view him as a useful piece in the frontcourt mix.
Walkers contract still gives the team flexibility, with the guarantee date not arriving until January 10, but the decision-making here says plenty about how Philadelphia wants to shape the back end of the roster. After moving Johni Broome to clear space for additions such as LeBron James and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, the Sixers seem more interested in keeping Walker in the fold as a depth option than reopening that spot again. [Read more 🡒]
Sixers Facing An Awkward Roster Move They May Have To Overpay For
The Sixers are running into the kind of roster squeeze that tends to turn a simple summer plan into a messy transaction. Philadelphia reportedly wants to keep Jabari Walker for the 2026-2027 season, and the anticipated addition of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope after his buyout from the Memphis Grizzlies means the front office has to make room somewhere on the roster.
Johni Broome has become the obvious name to move, but finding a taker may not be straightforward. Teams interested in absorbing his salary could ask for extra assets in return, which would force Philadelphia to decide how much it is willing to pay just to create the flexibility it needs. [Read more 🡒]
Bam Adebayo Reveals His Message After LeBron Passed On The Heat
Bam Adebayo had a measured reaction after LeBron James chose a different path this offseason, stressing support for James while keeping the focus on what comes next for Miami and the Eastern Conference. Adebayo also made clear he is looking forward to the season ahead, including the possibility of sharing a locker room with Giannis Antetokounmpo, a scenario he has already talked through with him before.
For the Heat, the bigger takeaway is less about disappointment and more about how quickly the landscape can shift around them. Adebayo said he is not discouraged by the decision and sees a fresh turnaround coming in the East, which leaves Miami in the familiar spot of having to answer the leagues biggest moves with its own. [Read more 🡒]