LeBron James signing with the 76ers just made things even more difficult for the Celtics

Sport admin July 24, 2026 0 Comments

LeBron James signing with the 76ers just made things even more difficult for the Celtics

After the latest of LeBron James’s decisions, the Celtics suddenly look no better than the third-best team in the Atlantic Division.

And it’s a distant third after James shocked the basketball world yet again and signed a two-year, $8 million deal to join the rival Philadelphia 76ers, the new home of Jaylen Brown.

It’s been speculated that the 76ers acquiring Brown, which catapulted the franchise into NBA Finals contention, was an encouraging factor for James to join the club. And he said in a statement that his goal is to win a fifth championship by joining Brown, Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and VJ Edgecombe to form a formidable quintet.

As the celebrations continue in Philadelphia after what has been a rousingly successful first offseason under new president of basketball operations Mike Gansey — acquiring Brown and James, and dumping the anchor-like contract of Paul George while not having to give up Edgecombe in the process — the reaction in Boston can’t be positive.

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The Celtics decided to trade Brown, knowing it was a calculated risk. And trading him to a longtime nemesis, boosting their chances, was controversial at best. Now that the 76ers have added at least the second-greatest player of all time, still productive at 41 and with a younger supporting cast ready to chase the franchise’s first title in 43 years, this is a discouraging factor for the Celtics’ chances to win again in Jayson Tatum’s prime.

The Celtics’ offseason has been uneven at best. Acquisitions Mitchell Robinson and Mike Conley are quality pickups, but adding George in what could be a pivotal role is risky considering his age and health history. The second salary-cap apron prevented the Celtics from building a super team to compete for multiple seasons.

Failing to complete a deal for Giannis Antetokounmpo — perhaps the biggest blemish in Brad Stevens’s tenure — created a situation in which the front office felt it had to trade Brown. The issue was they couldn’t get a prime No. 2 option behind Tatum that would boost their chances in the Eastern Conference.

The hope for the Celtics is that Payton Pritchard, Derrick White, Sam Hauser, and Neemias Queta all take steps forward, while Tatum’s return from a 22-game stint after his Achilles injury is smooth and seamless. The Celtics’ quest to pare future payroll has possibly curtailed the success of Tatum’s prime years, while a handful of Eastern Conference rivals such as the 76ers, Hawks, Raptors, and even the Hornets upgrade, and the Knicks are defending champions returning everybody except Robinson.

Similar to last season, coach Joe Mazzulla will be motivated by those who believe his team will take a significant step back, who believe the Celtics will be lapped by the Knicks and 76ers. The Celtics will play hard. They will play cohesively, but talent-wise, they are falling short of the league’s elite.

Celtics faithful have yet to hear a peep from George besides a photo holding a No. 13 jersey posted from the team’s practice facility. After two injury- and drama-filled seasons in Philadelphia, George will have to prove he has something left to contribute, that the George who dominated the Celtics in that first-round series could carry that prowess into another season, when he’ll be needed to be a primary option behind Tatum.

The 76ers don’t have those problems now. Not only were they able to swap George for Brown, they added the smartest player of this generation to a franchise that’s been desperate for recognition and regard. Before their meltdown in that playoff series, the Celtics pounded the 76ers in their rivalry. They had everything the 76ers wanted.

The 76ers began The Process when they drafted Embiid shortly before the Celtics selected Brown and Tatum in subsequent years, and the Celtics won a championship while the 76ers endured repeated playoff failures. The 76ers were the Celtics’ little brothers, the franchise who wasted money on players such as George and James Harden, while Stevens made astute signings and chased chemistry over overhyped talent. Former 76ers general manager Daryl Morey could always be relied upon to make a foolish move, a questionable, desperate signing.

One of those signings was George, who agreed to a four-year, $212 million pact, a contract the Celtics will now have to finish paying. Meanwhile, the 76ers now have Brown and James to join an already formidable cast to compete for a championship. Their biggest question — as always — will be the health and motivation of Embiid, who dominated the Celtics when he returned from appendicitis, and then broke down again in the next series against the Knicks, as if he was satisfied to finally overcome Boston.

Well, the expectations have risen in the City of Brotherly Love. James is coming and he’s not coming to lose in the first round after a 47-win season. He picked Philadelphia because it gives him the best chance to win again. Playing in Miami with Antetokounmpo would have been interesting but not successful. Returning to Cleveland would have provided a touching story, but the Cavaliers aren’t good enough to win a championship. A pairing with Stephen Curry at Golden State would have been fascinating, but the Warriors are too old to be anything besides temporarily alluring.

James made the best decision to chase at least one more championship, and now the NBA’s offseason resumes and rivals can react. And the Celtics’ path to emerge in the Eastern Conference just became even more difficult.