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LeBron James was undoubtedly the biggest storyline of the summer, as it was the first time he hit free agency in almost a decade. James had spent the previous eight seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers.
The four-time NBA champion was set to hit free agency but could have signed back with Los Angeles. His agent, Rich Paul, notified the Lakers that James would not be returning for the 2026-27 season.
“LeBron James will return for an unprecedented 24th season in the NBA -- but it won't be with the Los Angeles Lakers. James has informed the Lakers that the franchise can move on without him because he will play elsewhere, Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul told ESPN's Shams Charania on Tuesday," ESPN wrote.
The 41-year-old then went on to have the longest offseason of his career. He would eventually sign with the Philadelphia 76ers on the smallest deal of his career.
“LeBron James is signing with the Philadelphia 76ers for his final run at another NBA championship, he announced Friday," ESPN's Dave McMenamin wrote. "James, 41, is signing a two-year, $8 million contract with a player option, Klutch Sports Group CEO Rich Paul told ESPN's Shams Charania."
It is very clear that James felt like the 76ers had the best roster to compete for a championship. However, The Ringer’s Bill Simmons still reports that James had a deal done with the Cleveland Cavaliers before pulling an audible.
“Listen, he was going to [the Cleveland Cavaliers]. I don’t know what happened. I can’t wait for the story. Something happened,” Simmons said.
While there is nothing else to confirm this, Simmons is standing by what he reported during the summer as factual. If true, James almost returned to the place where he started his historic career.
There is no doubt that Cleveland would have welcomed him back with open arms, and there is no telling what could have changed his mind. His heart is in Philadelphia for the next two seasons. However, it turns out that it was once going to be in Cleveland.
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