After weighing his options for weeks, former Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James made his decision to join the Philadelphia 76ers in free agency. The move came as a surprise to many as James also considered teams such as the Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat and Golden State Warriors.
The 76ers had already made a massive trade for All-Star wing Jaylen Brown, so the addition of James now raises their expectations even higher. Lakers legend Magic Johnson took to social media to give his thoughts on the move, believing that James makes the 76ers one of the best teams in the league and a potential championship squad:
After trading for one of the best two way players in the league and NBA All Star Jaylen Brown, the Sixers then signed the biggest free agent on the market this summer, 4x NBA champion and future Hall of Famer LeBron James.
LeBron makes the Sixers one of the best teams in the NBA…
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) July 27, 2026
Johnson’s thoughts echo those of many in the basketball world. On paper, this 76ers squad now boasts the best starting five in the NBA. James and Brown join former MVP Joel Embiid, All-Star point guard Tyrese Maxey and promising second-year wing VJ Edgecombe in a lineup that fits very well together in theory.
Of course, there are some concerns as well as Johnson mentioned. The 76ers will have to hold up defensively, especially with Embiid not being nearly as mobile on the court. There are also major health questions of whether Embiid can hold up for an entire season, while James will be entering an unprecedented 24th NBA season and has had his own lingering injury problems over the past few years.
No one will know exactly how this will work until they get out on the court, but, as is always the case with James, there will be a ton of attention on him. He had an excellent eight-year run with the Lakers, but now he is on to the next chapter and Johnson will be watching closely just like everyone else.
Lakers players believe LeBron James would sign with Warriors
James considered many different teams throughout his free agency journey this summer with many believing he would ultimately join the Warriors to play alongside Stephen Curry and good friend Draymond Green. In fact, that was the outcome that many Lakers players believed would be the case.
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