LeBron Picks 76ers, Unlocking NBA Free Agency
Get the Sports newsletter
Daily sports — scores, transfers, the storylines from the leagues you actually follow. Free.
- LeBron James chose the Philadelphia 76ers after a 24-day free agency wait, a decision that had held up the NBA's 2026-27 schedule and frozen other league business
- Draymond Green is expected to re-sign with the Warriors at roughly $28 million per year, the same figure he declined on his player option while keeping cap space open for the LeBron pursuit
- James Harden is expected to land a new long-term deal with the Cavaliers, though below the $42.3 million he declined on his player option, as compensation for his patience during the hold
- Jalen Duren, Peyton Watson, and Bennedict Mathurin become the top restricted free agents now that the LeBron freeze is over, with Detroit daring Duren to find a better offer and the Nuggets asking for two unprotected firsts plus two pick swaps to consider a Watson sign-and-trade
- Jonathan Kuminga is reportedly drawing interest from the Cavaliers and Lakers, with Cleveland now pivoting to him on the wing after losing the LeBron sweepstakes and seeing Dean Wade depart for Philadelphia
- Bradley Beal and Gabe Vincent are logical targets for the Heat, who are looking to add backcourt talent around Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo after also missing out on James
- Russell Westbrook, Bruce Brown, Gabe Vincent, Nicolas Batum, and Kelly Olynyk are among the veterans who should now start receiving earnest offers as teams that struck out on James shift to Plan B
Why it matters: LeBron's 24-day deliberation cost the league its schedule and forced two max-type players — Draymond Green and James Harden — to delay their own contracts so their teams could chase him. With Philadelphia now his destination, Green's ~$28M Warriors deal and Harden's new Cavaliers contract should close quickly, and teams like Cleveland and Golden State, who lost both LeBron and key role players like Dean Wade, face immediate pressure to pivot to veterans such as Jonathan Kuminga or Bradley Beal.
