After a long wait, LeBron James has finally made his decision and will sign with the Philadelphia 76ers on a two-year, $8 million contract. It’s a painful decision for the Celtics, as he goes to yet another Boston rival, the one that just knocked them out of the playoffs only to then acquire Jaylen Brown. And it seems like that move was a big part of LeBron heading to Philly to try and win a fifth ring.
As agonizing as it feels in the moment, though, this may be a bit of a blessing in disguise for the Celtics in a weird way. Before James signed, the Sixers were somewhat stuck between timelines with a suddenly intriguing young group led by Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe. But now, they are suddenly obligated to go all-in for a short window around James, Joel Embiid, Jaylen Brown, and Maxey.
It will be championship or bust for as long as James is there, and that means trading everything that’s not bolted down and sacrificing every available asset to make their best push to come away with a title that has eluded the organization for almost 45 years.
The Celtics’ unprotected 2031 first-round pick from Philly just got better
This is all very exciting for the Sixers and their fans, and fairly demoralizing for the Celtics, but the reason for hope is that Boston now controls Philly’s 2031 first-round pick from the Jaylen/Paul George trade. It was already a solid asset, but now it looks even better. The Sixers are much more inclined to pursue win-now moves without thinking about five years down the road.
By 2031, James will be 46 years old and almost certainly (although I’ll believe it when I see it) retired. Embiid will be 37, and it’s hard to imagine he’ll still be running up and down NBA floors. JB will be 34, and Maxey will be 30. They should still be able to make an impact, but their current contracts will both be done, and it’s far from a sure thing they’ll be in Philly.
The future was already a bit bleak for the Sixers, but this move is going to make them give up on any thought of proceeding with caution. It’s an all-in push for them, and the future be damned. The Celtics now have real motivation to root against LeBron more than ever and hope that this team goes up in flames while trading away every young player and draft pick to salvage the situation, leading to a complete rebuild by the end of this decade, and a premium draft asset falling into the Celtics’ laps.
Add us as a preferred source on Google