The Philadelphia 76ers just keep on winning this offseason. As if picking up Jaylen Brown in a blockbuster trade wasn’t good enough, the team added another superstar into the fold when it signed LeBron James to a two-year, $8 million contract in free agency on Thursday. With James in town, the Sixers have one of the best starting lineups in the league heading into next season.
Along with several other teams, the Sixers made a hard push to sign James in free agency once he informed the Los Angeles Lakers he would not be returning to them for the 2026-27 campaign. While he decided to keep playing this offseason, James’ agent, Rich Paul, revealed that things very nearly went a different way for him.
Rich Paul Shares Surprising Insight on LeBron James’ Retirement Plans
When you are as old as James is, retirement is always going to be something that could be in the cards. And yet, even though he’s set to turn 42 years old in December, it never seemed all that likely that James would retire this offseason. Instead, it became clear he would either sign a new deal with the Lakers or depart in free agency.
As he revealed in his statement shortly after his deal with the Sixers was announced, though, this decision was anything but straightforward for James. In fact, he claimed he initially believed he would retire this offseason, only to change his mind and decide to start a new chapter with a different team.
What could have caused James to pull a 180 in the blink of an eye and decide to keep playing? If you ask Paul, he thinks it was the Lakers’ first-round series against the Houston Rockets in the 2026 NBA Playoffs, which saw James lead his team to victory, despite not having his two co-stars, Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, on the floor for much of the action. In Paul’s eyes, if Los Angeles lost that series, he thinks James would have called it a career.
“That series, in my opinion, convinced him to keep playing,” Paul said on “Game Over.” “I think if they somehow got swept or lose 4-1 in that series, it could be different. I think that gave us another ride.”
LeBron James Set to Aid Sixers’ Championship Quest
GettyLOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 10: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers looks on during the first half of a game against the Phoenix Suns at Crypto.com Arena on April 10, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
A lot of things had to break the Sixers’ way in order for James to land with them, but it all did, and now, expectations for this team are sky-high. Adding James and Brown to a team that already featured Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and VJ Edgecombe is simply mind-boggling, and on paper at least, they appear to be the team to beat in the Eastern Conference.
At this point, James has accomplished pretty much everything you can in the NBA, but he is still hungry to add another championship to his resume. Joining Philadelphia gives him a great chance to accomplish that goal, and conversely, he figures to play a big role in guiding this team to its desired landing spot. There will obviously be an adjustment period for James and the rest of his teammates, but if everything clicks, the 76ers are going to be very dangerous next year.
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