The biggest domino in NBA free agency has finally fallen. After weeks of speculation, SF LeBron James is signing a two-year, $8 million deal with the Philadelphia 76ers, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.
LeBron James now joins a starting lineup that is now widely considered the best in the NBA, after the 76ers traded for Celtics wing Jaylen Brown earlier this offseason and held on to key pieces PG Tyrese Maxey and C Joel Embiid.
James spent the last eight seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers, but informed the team in late June that he wouldn’t be returning to the team for the 2026-27 season. In a series of posts on X, James admitted that he considered retirement this summer, but ultimately decided that “I still truly love this game.”
Now, at 41-years-old, James will join his fourth NBA team and is in search of his fifth ring as he arrives in Philadelphia.
Below, we’ll break down what the new Philadelphia 76ers’ starting lineup looks like with LeBron James in the fold, their depth chart, and where Philadelphia now sits among NBA Finals favorites on PrizePicks.
Pick the 76ers to win the 2027 NBA Finals and more NBA Futures on PrizePicks
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New Philadelphia 76ers Lineup with LeBron James
The 76ers have compiled quite a different starting five than the one that took the floor against the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference Semifinals this past spring. The team parted ways with president of basketball operations Daryl Morey and brought in rising Cleveland Cavaliers executive Mike Gansey.
Gansey certainly didn’t waste any time getting to work, as he quickly acquired SF Jaylen Brown from the Boston Celtics in exchange for SF Paul George, two first-round picks, and two second-round picks.
James also considered joining the Cavaliers, Golden State Warriors, and Miami Heat throughout his free agency decision. However, it’s hard to argue that Philadelphia boasted the most talented starting lineup.
With James now a part of the 76ers, this is what the 76ers’ starting five is expected to look like when the 2026-27 NBA season gets underway.
- PG: Tyrese Maxey
- SG: VJ Edgecombe
- SF: Jaylen Brown
- PF: LeBron James
- C: Joel Embiid
James is very familiar with Maxey, who has called James a “big brother” in the past. The two have worked out together on several occasions in the offseason, so their playing styles could mesh very well together.
Philadelphia’s starting lineup is quite star-studded as it boasts five MVP Awards and five NBA Finals MVP Awards.
New 76ers Full Depth Chart with LeBron James
Here is a look at what the 76ers’ depth chart looks like as the roster is currently constructed.
- PG: Tyrese Maxey / Labaron Philon Jr.
- SG: VJ Edgecombe / Jaylen Brown / Anfernee Simons / Justin Edwards / Dalon Terry
- SF: Jaylen Brown / VJ Edgecombe / Jabari Walker
- PF: LeBron James / Dean Wade / Dominick Barlow
- C: Joel Embiid / Ariel Hukporti / Adem Bona / Johni Broome
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Are the 76ers NBA Title Contenders? NBA Finals Futures
76ers to Win the NBA Finals: Yes 6.66x | No 1.08x
76ers to Win the Eastern Conference: Yes 3.7x | No 1.25x
The NBA Finals and Eastern Conference winner payouts listed below from PrizePicks Team Picks indicate real-money earnings if a prediction is correct; for example, a 4x on a $100 entry pays out $400. Team Picks data is live as of writing and is subject to change.
The NBA Finals futures landscape has flipped on its ear when James decided to join the 76ers. Obviously, it’s hard to ignore the top dogs in the Oklahoma City Thunder, San Antonio Spurs, and defending champion New York Knicks, but Philadelphia has certainly earned a seat at the table.
After all, the 76ers did take down the No. 1-seed Boston Celtics in the opening round of the NBA Playoffs this past season, even after SF Jayson Tatum made his triumphant return.
With Brown and James now in the fold, that takes an abundance of pressure off the shoulders of Maxey and Embiid. Head coach Nick Nurse will have the luxury of staggering the minutes of his stars throughout the regular season. That could become crucial for Embiid, who has consistently dealt with injuries in recent years.
At point guard, both Maxey and James have spent a great deal of time as the primary ball-handler for their teams over the years.
According to databallr, Maxey spent 37.5% of his time on the ball (86th percentile), while James was the primary ball-handler 23.2% of the time with the Lakers last season, even with Luka Doncic as the primary point guard.
There’s no doubt that Philadelphia’s starting five will be one of the more electric units across the NBA in 2026-27.
LeBron James is projected at 17.5 points per game on PrizePicks' NBA SZN game, a season-long fantasy basketball game, along with 6.4 rebounds per game, and 6.7 assists per game. Jaylen Brown is expected to soak up more scoring duties, as he's projected for 23.3 points per game on PrizePicks.
However, the team also signed SG Anfernee Simons to boost its perimeter shooting after Simons shot 38.5% from long-range a season ago. Gansey also hit a home run in the 2026 NBA Draft when he was able to land former Alabama star G Labaron Philon Jr. with the No. 22 pick.
It’s hard not to like what the 76ers did this offseason. The Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat, and New York Knicks will likely be Philadelphia’s biggest threats to the Eastern Conference crown. The Cavaliers and Knicks are returning similar rosters, while the Heat added PF Giannis Antetokounmpo in a trade with the Milwaukee Bucks.
Make your NBA Futures Predictions on PrizePicks
The New York Knicks captured their first NBA title in 53 years when they beat the San Antonio Spurs last month. However, after a massive LeBron James signing in Philadelphia, the Sixers are certainly one of the top contenders to capture the NBA Finals championship in the 2026-27 season.
There's no doubt that the 76ers could challenge New York in the Eastern Conference with a stacked starting lineup of former MVPs.
You can get in on the NBA futures action with PrizePicks Team Picks, with projections available for teams to win their respective conferences or even win an NBA title. The NBA tab is already open with projections for the 2027 NBA Finals winner, as well as LeBron James’ season averages on the NBASZN board.
Stay tuned with the Playbook for continued NBA predictions, picks, news, and analysis leading up to the start of the 2026-27 season and beyond.
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