This may be the first time I wrote an article about a single free agency decision and also the first time I've written like five articles in a row about the same player. But hey, it is Lebron, and presumably this is the last time an offseason will be highlighted by his always dramatic decision making. Even when he chose the Lakers back in the day, the way I remember it he made that choice fairly quickly, but still, him going to LAL in the first place was more or less a shocker.
LBJ heading to Philly isn't as monumental as it may sound in the moment, unless they win a championship. But it is very much exciting news nonetheless.
Since acquiring Jaylen Brown, the Sixers were already considered must-watch and contenders for this upcoming season. They weren't in a sad state like, say, the Cavs when Lebron returned to Cleveland, or the Lakers when he decided to sign there. So basically, his presence just makes them more must watch and more contenders. You know, championship or bust.
But there's a whole lot of side stories associated with this latest decision. This time around, unlike when he returned to Cleveland or went to LA, Lebron's presence is not demanding that the recipient team sacrifice young talent. But there are still a lot of people affected on the periphery.
LEBRON JAMES (WINNER OR LOSER?)
Concerning his decision, three ideas emerged from LBJ's camp over this summer. His goals were (#1) to win another championship, (#2) to be close to his family in Los Angeles and (#3) to make the right "business" decision. And well, at least he's achieved one of them.
In terms of that whole "business choice" shit, I mean, James just signed a 2-year, $8mil deal, if you can imagine that. The highest scoring player in NBA history, a reigning allstar and, based on this past offseason, still the King of the game is now being paid, relatively speaking, like a peasant. That doesn't sound like a wise business decision.
But that said, the implication going into next season was that he was slated to make significantly more from endorsements, etc. than salary. And that likely would've been the case regardless of which team on his shortlist he chose.
What excites me the most about Lebron's decision is that finally, he's wise enough to follow the path of Abdul-Jabbar. When Kareem was nearing the end of his career, the team he was playing for were contenders with or without him. A couple of seasons after he retired, the Lakers still proceeded to make the Finals (with Divac).
For all-time greats that want to compete to the very end, that's the way to go - let the younger, fresher guys carry most of the burden. Lebron signing this paltry contract makes more sense if his intention isn't to regularly overexert himself.
JOEL EMBIID (WINNER OR LOSER?)
I've been saying for like five years now that the Sixers need to part ways with Joel. His presence is both a gift and a curse. He proved to the x-factor against the Celtics but then was more or less a nonfactor against the Knicks. He isn't a bad player at all, you know, when he's actually available. At the heart of the problem, even moreso than his injuries, is the fact that, all things considered, by this point he should be making like $20mil annually instead of the max.
Anyhow, given this new roster, he's definitely, once again, the x-factor. But now that they're actually favorites, if he does somehow fail yet again, his inefficiencies will take front and center stage. So finally, the rest of world may see what I was talking about when I said Philly should devise other viable, contender-level options at C.
BEN SIMMONS (WINNER OR LOSER?)
Ha, I bet didn't see this one coming! But under the presumption that Philly will be playing a lot of smallball this coming season, it would make total sense to bring Simmons back.
First of all, as far as I know, neither Maxey nor Edgecombe are exceptional defenders, besides both being undersized. So Ben would help mitigate that issue, as all he does is defend. And given this current Philly roster, replete with alphas, I don't think anyone will be pressuring him to shoot when he doesn't want to.
Secondly, let's not forget that Simmons can actually play the 5. And third, a while back, before shrinking into irrelevancy, he expressed a desire to return to the team that drafted him.
If he still has it in him, i.e. the ability to play elite defense, it would make total sense for Philly to bring him back (especially considering that now they wouldn't have to pay him shit). After Embiid, he's been through the most ups and downs with this team over the past decade.
Meanwhile, in terms of Simmons emerging a loser from it all, you have to imagine that he now wants to return to Philadelphia, with Lebron in town, more than he ever has since leaving. It's not going to be easy for him seeing the team he deserted at the top of the headlines every day.
WALKER KESSLER (WINNER OR LOSER?)
I know that Kessler isn't directly affected by Lebron's decision to go to Philly per se. He was however affected by LBJ leaving the Lakers to begin with.
So now, here's something interesting to think about. Walker is a B-lister, and even that standing was for the most part achieved via his name being in the headlines so much over the past couple of months, not due to his actual gameplay per se. He has instantly been thrust from playing for one of the most obscure teams in the league to now playing for the organization that has literally employed the greatest Cs in NBA history, all to championship effect.
If he's able to rise to the challenge, this is definitely a lucky break for Kessler and his brand. But if not, well, let's just say his name is going to be in the headlines daily nonetheless, as the player who more or less replaced Lebron in LAL, and the C playing in the shadow of AD, Gasol, Shaq, etc.
LUKA DONCIC (LOSER)
Let me say this for hopefully the final time - the Mavs did not fail in eventually surrounding Doncic with complementary talent. Besides sharing the backcourt with Kyrie (and before him Brunson), he also had the likes of Gafford, Washington and Lively on the wings, i.e. athletic, multitalented, long dudes who could complete lobs with the best of them. Kessler is tall, but is he even athletic like that? And that's why it makes total sense that LAL is chasing Kuminga, because he's very similar to those aforementioned players who Luka prospered with.
So what I'm predicting is that Doncic may finally be exposed. He's been one of my favorite players, but let me be honest - I'm a bit bitter with the way the Lakers favored him over Lebron. Not that they favored him but rather the way they did it, because he is not the answer.
After Jordan, LBJ is the greatest player in modern NBA history. And to truly achieve that status, sorry white European players, but you have to be exceptional on both offense and defense.
But yeah, we know the NBA has changed. So you have Luka being paid the max, while players who have to mitigate his deficiencies, like Smart and Thybulle, are being paid as little as possible.
MIAMI HEAT (WINNER)
The Heat now have the advantage of entering next season as underdogs. Meanwhile, whether or not the Sixers' roster is superior is a matter of debate.
Well, let me say that Philly is definitely deeper, but Miami looks better defensively. Both Bam and Giannis are in the DPOY conversation annually. Wiggins, to my understanding, is also an above average defender, as is also Mitchell, I think. So we're looking at a really formidable defensive squad here. By contrast, out of Philly's projected starters, only Brown, at this point, is exceptional on defense.
And let's not also forget that Bradley Beal is out there. Remember a few years back, the Heat were actually after him. At that time, I argued he was overrated, achieving stardom due to being an above-average player on a below-average team, and that foretelling aged well. But still, he isn't exactly what you call a bum if healthy. And if the Heat do land him, he'll be in the least-pressure situation of his career. Dude can solely focus on shooting, which is like his biggest attribute.
Let's not also forget that the likes of Rui Hachimura and DeMar DeRozan are also out there. I don't know how much money Miami has left to spend, but they could definitely use both of those dudes. Hachimura has been one of the biggest beneficiaries, talent wise, of the now forced-to-shoot-threes' era of the NBA. And they're saying that Giannis and Bam can't score from midrange, but DeRozan is one of the very best scorers in the league, perhaps top two even, inside the key.
CLEVELAND CAVALIERS (LOSERS)
I've been doing a lot of Beard bashing of late, but it isn't intentional. He has also been one of my favorite players throughout the years. But Harden, all things considered, is like more show than accomplishment.
Going back to this idea that now offense is exponentially more valued than defense, he's definitely been a beneficiary of that phenomenon. And that's part of the reason why it still doesn't make sense, at least to me, why the Cavs thought he would be the one to get them over the hump.
Meanwhile, losing Dean Wade and perhaps another dude or two I can't recall right now, while acquiring no one of note in the process (unless whoever they drafted exceeds expectations), the roster has actually regressed this offseason. Not sound braintrusting at all. Out of all the team's on Lebron's shortlist with a realistic chance of winning a championship, they probably needed him most.
STEPH CURRY (LOSER)
It's hard to call the Warriors as a whole losers, because you can't really miss what you never had to begin with. And their offseason, though nothing to write home about, hasn't been as bad as that of the Cavs. Also, they still have like $15mil to spend and will likely end up with Hachimura or DeRozan, the latter of which I think would be really beneficial alongside Steph and especially with the absence of Butler.
I hate saying anything bad about Curry, because one way or the other I always come to regret it. But simply put, he isn't the headliner he used to be.
For the most part, Golden State's braintrust has failed in surrounding him with the type of players that pique current fans' interest. So unless the Warriors are like a top four team, which is possible I guess, no one is even going to really care to watch them.
As I said before, they needed Lebron more than anyone on his shortlist in terms of generating sales. But instead, we're going to be treated to yet another season of neverending Draymond, hoping Steph stays healthy and waiting for Jimmy to get back on the court.
Hate to beat a dead horse, but if this were to be the case, i.e. the Dubs insisting on a core of 35+ year old players, then they should've just kept Klay around (or perhaps bring him back). At least then, we can treated to some true Splash Bros. magic every now and then, and I have to imagine that Thompson being back will also be exciting to fans.
CONCLUSION
The Sixers, I mean it's hard to tell, because Kawhi may still be going to the Raptors. It's hard to tell, whether with or without Lebron, if this team is the favorites in the East. Their wing core cannot match defensively with that of the Knicks. In other words, despite experiencing one of those extremely rare offseasons where a team lands two A-listers, there's still work to be done here. And in hindsight, maybe they should've made more of an effort to acquire someone like Mitchell Robinson to backup Embiid.
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