LeBron James finally dropped his free agency bombshell on Friday, picking the Philadelphia 76ers to wrap up his legendary career. After 24 agonizing days of silence, multiple live show appearances where he gave up nothing, and nearly a dozen podcasts from agent Rich Paul, the King made his call. It’s a huge win for the Sixers, who were already in the mix after trading for Jaylen Brown earlier this summer, but a total gut punch for the Cavaliers, Heat, and Warriors, all of whom were holding onto hope.
The King’s New Kingdom and the Scramble for Plan B
Look, LeBron stretching out his free agency for over three weeks absolutely gummed up the works for the entire NBA, even delaying the 2026-27 schedule. But now that he’s officially a Sixer, the league can actually get down to business. Philly was already a powerhouse in the East post-Brown trade, and now with LeBron in town? Forget about it. They’re locked in for those prime spotlight games, think opening night and definitely Christmas Day. For the teams that were desperately clinging to the dream of landing James, it’s a brutal pivot to Plan B, and let’s be real, options are pretty limited out there. This whole situation also put the restricted free agent market on ice, a market that’s been dead since Walker Kessler’s sign-and-trade to the Lakers. Now, things *have* to start moving.
Blockbuster Deals Unstuck: Harden, Green Ready To Ink It
With LeBron settled, everyone’s eyes are on James Harden and Draymond Green. Both of these guys declined their player options, essentially waiting it out to see if the Warriors or Cavaliers could land James. Now that their old teams got snubbed, the expectation is crystal clear: Green and Harden are gonna work out fresh, long-term deals to stay right where they are. And they’ll be handsomely paid for their patience and team-player mentality during this whole saga. According to The Athletic, Green is looking at a deal around $28 million, which is almost exactly what he turned down on his player option. Harden’s not expected to get the full $42.3 million annually he passed on, but a sizable long-term contract is definitely coming his way. The exact timing is still up in the air though, because the Warriors and Cavaliers still need to fill out their rosters, and having a bit of flexibility with these two not fully signed yet could help them chase other rotation talent. Oh, and don’t forget top restricted free agents like Jalen Duren and Peyton Watson, whose futures have also been on hold.
The drama of LeBron’s decision held up so much, but now the dominos are finally falling. Get ready for these next few weeks, because the NBA offseason is about to go from a slow simmer to a full-on boil as teams scramble to finish their rosters.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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