LeBron James is signing with the 76ers, Shams reports
LeBron James is signing with the Philadelphia 76ers on a two-year, $8 million deal with a player option, ESPN's Shams Charania reported, citing Klutch Sports and Rich Paul. The move ends a free-agency chase that also featured Miami and Cleveland as finalists for the all-time scoring leader.
According to Delaware News Journal, Charania relayed that Klutch Sports Group and Rich Paul confirmed the agreement. James is entering his 24th NBA season after eight years with the Los Angeles Lakers, where he won a title in 2020.
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Key Takeaways
- ESPN's Shams Charania reported James is signing with the 76ers on a two-year, $8 million deal with a player option.
- Before the report broke, prediction markets still had Miami and Cleveland ahead of Philadelphia.
- Charania had said James was not waiting on an Anthony Davis or Kyrie Irving trade to decide.
- Sixers stars Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid, and Jaylen Brown had been in contact with James during the chase.
- Earlier finalists also included the Golden State Warriors and Minnesota Timberwolves.
What is the latest update on LeBron and the 76ers?
The headline development is the reported agreement itself. Charania's report, cited by Delaware News Journal, said James is joining Philadelphia on that two-year structure with a player option.
Yahoo Sports' Sixers Wire coverage, published while the chase was still open, framed the 76ers as one of the main finalists alongside the Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat. That waiting game is what the new report appears to close.
Were the 76ers really in the final mix?
Yes. Charania previously said the focus was on Cleveland, Miami, and Philadelphia, with executives sending voice notes to Paul. Rich Paul also walked through Philadelphia among a longer whiteboard of options on his "Game Over" podcast with Max Kellerman.
As of mid-morning on July 24, Kalshi still listed the Heat at 45%, the Cavaliers at 26%, the Warriors at 18%, and the 76ers at 8%. Polymarket showed a similar order, with Philadelphia around 7%. Those numbers underscored how late and unsettled the market still looked before the Shams update.
The Sixer Sense noted Philly's case got stronger after Charania said James was not waiting for an Anthony Davis or Kyrie Irving trade. That mattered because the 76ers were not positioned to force those kinds of deals.
Why did the free-agency chase drag on so long?
Paul said on July 20 there was no timetable and that the camp would not be rushed. Charania, speaking July 23 on the Pat McAfee Show, said James was not waiting for Davis to be traded or for other roster dominoes.
ESPN's Vincent Goodwill reported league sources saying James had angled for Irving to join him in Cleveland, though Dallas showed no interest. Paul's public stance was that there was no angling to add specific teammates to a destination.
During Fanatics Fest, James declined to announce a decision and even said "trust the process," a line Sixers fans quickly claimed. Local columnist Bob Cooney said he had a strong feeling Philadelphia could land him, while Dave McMenamin reported Maxey had led player-to-player outreach alongside Embiid and Brown.
If the reported deal holds, Philadelphia would pair James with Embiid, Maxey, Brown, and rising guard V.J. Edgecombe—a title-contending core on paper after a roster overhaul that already added Brown, Dean Wade, and Anfernee Simons.