LeBron James concluded his well-publicized free agency journey by signing a two-year contract with the Philadelphia 76ers. This move marks the beginning of his 24th season in the NBA.
James considered multiple offers before finalizing his decision. Tyrese Maxey, a player also managed by James’ agent Rich Paul, reached out to James through texts and phone calls to sway him towards the 76ers.
“Not many. It wasn’t a lot of convincing. Couple phone calls, couple texts,” Maxey commented to team insider John Clark of NBC. “We’re good friends. Now, I guess we’re friends. He’s a lot older than me, but I guess we’re friends.”
Alongside James, the 76ers acquired five-time NBA All-Star Jaylen Brown through a significant trade with the Boston Celtics, an Eastern Conference rival. The expected starting lineup for Philadelphia now features James, Maxey, Brown, Joel Embiid, and VJ Edgecombe.
Maxey recently completed the strongest season of his career, averaging 28.3 points per game, a personal best for the 2025-26 season. This achievement positioned the 25-year-old guard as the second-leading scorer in the Eastern Conference, just behind Brown, who averaged 28.7 points per game.
The 76ers stand as one of the top contenders in the Eastern Conference for the upcoming season.