LeBron James Is A Philadelphia 76er

Perhaps there was no weirder possible conclusion to this saga: LeBron James is moving to Philadelphia.

Shams Charania https://x.com/ShamsCharania/status/2080677097463312412">reported Friday that James will sign with the 76ers on a two-year, $8 million deal with a player option.

The 41-year-old won't be ring-chasing with Steph Curry, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nikola Jokic, nor any other top-10 player, nor his hometown Cavaliers.

Instead he'll join an undeniably talented but aesthetically hideous assortment of Sixers looking to take advantage of a reshuffled Eastern Conference.

Can't say I understand it on any level: narrative, on-court, commercial, or otherwise.

Perhaps it has something to with James's long-standing belief in cumulative star talent rather than a specific mesh of skillsets; remember when he thought Russell Westbrook would work well alongside him?

Perhaps he's sympathetic to https://defector.com/celtics-jettison-beloved-finals-mvp-for-lapsed-podcaster-and-some-picks">Jaylen Brown, and is picking up a sword in the anti-"analytics" battle for the game's soul.

But this is certainly not his best route to winning a fifth title.

His most talented teammate, Joel Embiid, played 38 games in the last regular season.

Maybe James was really enamored with one or two of https://defector.com/joel-embiid-stuns-in-new-upright-look">his performances in last season's playoffs, but there are more medically sound bets to make when it comes to a late-career title hunt.

Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe are spry young guards, and they'll be a delight with James in transition, but neither is the sort of knockdown off-ball shooter that optimizes James in the halfcourt.

I look forward to the facial expressions he'll make the first time a Brown iso fritters away the end of a close game.

The Sixers' starting lineup will leave lots of weak points for opposing offenses to attack—do not tell me that 32-year-old Embiid will be anchoring a championship defense.

Again, there's a lot of talent on this roster; I just have no idea how it will all fit together.

That's Nick Nurse's job, if he can keep it.