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It's official, LeBron James is taking his talents Philly.
Following the stunning news that King James will sign a two-year contract with the Philadelphia 76ers, the Sixers automatically rise to the top of the Eastern Conference favorities.
The signing of James caps a remarkable offseason for Philadelphia following a second-round playoff loss to the eventual-NBA champion New York Knick.
In a stunning trade, the Sixers sent veteran forward Paul George and draft picks to the hated-Boston Celtics for All-NBA forward Jaylen Brown.
The trade for Brown was likely a major reason why James decided to sign with Philadelphia. Another main attraction, along with former MVP Joel Embiid, was the emergence of young guards Tyrese Maxey and V.J. Edgecombe.
See where the Sixers ranks among Eastern Conference teams following the James signing.
The current NBA champions remain at the top of the list since the majority of the roster will return this upcoming season. The emergence of Jalen Brunson as one of the top players in the NBA will keep the Knicks as the favorites despite the loss of center Mitchell Robinson to the Boston Celtics.
Talk of trading draft assets to clear the hefty contracts of Joel Embiid and Paul George abruptly changed once the Sixers were able to acquire All-NBA forward Jaylen Brown from the Celtics for George and draft picks. Now with the signing of LeBron James, the only question is whether Embiid can stay healthy for a title run.
This one might be a stretch, but the Pacers were a second half away from an NBA title two seasons ago before star-guard Tyrese Haliburton went down with an achillies tear against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2024 Finals.
With Haliburton back and healthy, Indiana will look to head back to the finals with a deeper roster that includes former Los Angeles Clippers center Ivica Zubac.
A perennial 50-plus win team led by All-NBA guard Donovan Mitchell, and possibly James Harden who is still a free agent, still has plenty of frontcourt depth with Garrett Allen and Evan Mobley. But how will the team handle losing out on the LeBron sweepstakes?
Another team that lost out on the James signing that will feature one of the best frontcourts in the NBA with Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo. But will the Heat have enough depth and shooting to surround Giannis and Bam?
One of the biggest surprise teams last year with 60 wins will have a healthy Cade Cunningham and newly acquired forward John Collins and Isaiah Joe. There's questions on whether the team is forreal and if it will lose its edge after trading forward Isaiah Stewart.
After trading away Brown, the Celtics are signaling they're looking to retool with a healthy Jayson Tatum and deep and young core. Boston's ranking depends on whether team president Brad Stevens spins George's contract and picks for another star.
This depends on whether the trade for Los Angeles Clippers All-NBA forward Kawhi Leonard goes through. As of now, the trade is in limbo as league officials investigate Leonard and the Clippers for alleged salary-cap circumvention.
The rest of the Eastern conference:
The 76ers will open the preseason on Saturday, Oct. 10 at 8 p.m. against the Boston Celtics.
The NBA has yet to release the regular season schedule, likely because it was waiting for James to make his free agent decision.
This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: NBA Eastern Conference rankings after LeBron James signs with Sixer
Continue reading...
Following the stunning news that King James will sign a two-year contract with the Philadelphia 76ers, the Sixers automatically rise to the top of the Eastern Conference favorities.
The signing of James caps a remarkable offseason for Philadelphia following a second-round playoff loss to the eventual-NBA champion New York Knick.
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In a stunning trade, the Sixers sent veteran forward Paul George and draft picks to the hated-Boston Celtics for All-NBA forward Jaylen Brown.
The trade for Brown was likely a major reason why James decided to sign with Philadelphia. Another main attraction, along with former MVP Joel Embiid, was the emergence of young guards Tyrese Maxey and V.J. Edgecombe.
See where the Sixers ranks among Eastern Conference teams following the James signing.
Where Sixers rank: NBA Eastern Conference rankings
1. New York Knicks
The current NBA champions remain at the top of the list since the majority of the roster will return this upcoming season. The emergence of Jalen Brunson as one of the top players in the NBA will keep the Knicks as the favorites despite the loss of center Mitchell Robinson to the Boston Celtics.
2. Philadelphia 76ers
Talk of trading draft assets to clear the hefty contracts of Joel Embiid and Paul George abruptly changed once the Sixers were able to acquire All-NBA forward Jaylen Brown from the Celtics for George and draft picks. Now with the signing of LeBron James, the only question is whether Embiid can stay healthy for a title run.
3. Indiana Pacers
This one might be a stretch, but the Pacers were a second half away from an NBA title two seasons ago before star-guard Tyrese Haliburton went down with an achillies tear against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2024 Finals.
With Haliburton back and healthy, Indiana will look to head back to the finals with a deeper roster that includes former Los Angeles Clippers center Ivica Zubac.
4. Cleveland Cavaliers
A perennial 50-plus win team led by All-NBA guard Donovan Mitchell, and possibly James Harden who is still a free agent, still has plenty of frontcourt depth with Garrett Allen and Evan Mobley. But how will the team handle losing out on the LeBron sweepstakes?
5. Miami Heat
Another team that lost out on the James signing that will feature one of the best frontcourts in the NBA with Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo. But will the Heat have enough depth and shooting to surround Giannis and Bam?
6. Detroit Pistons
One of the biggest surprise teams last year with 60 wins will have a healthy Cade Cunningham and newly acquired forward John Collins and Isaiah Joe. There's questions on whether the team is forreal and if it will lose its edge after trading forward Isaiah Stewart.
7. Boston Celtics
After trading away Brown, the Celtics are signaling they're looking to retool with a healthy Jayson Tatum and deep and young core. Boston's ranking depends on whether team president Brad Stevens spins George's contract and picks for another star.
8. Toronto Raptors
This depends on whether the trade for Los Angeles Clippers All-NBA forward Kawhi Leonard goes through. As of now, the trade is in limbo as league officials investigate Leonard and the Clippers for alleged salary-cap circumvention.
The rest of the Eastern conference:
- 9. Orlando Magic
- 10. Atlanta Hawks
- 11 Charlotte Hornets
- 12. Washington Wizards
- 13. Chicago Bulls
- 14. Brooklyn Nets
- 15. Milwaukee Bucks
When does the Sixers season start?
The 76ers will open the preseason on Saturday, Oct. 10 at 8 p.m. against the Boston Celtics.
The NBA has yet to release the regular season schedule, likely because it was waiting for James to make his free agent decision.
This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: NBA Eastern Conference rankings after LeBron James signs with Sixer
Continue reading...
