Basketball Wiretap

LeBron James has agreed to sign a two-year, $8 million with the Philadelphia 76ers. James will have a player option for Year 2.

James revealed that he was strongly considering retirement going into the offseason.

James also considered signing with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat, Golden State Warriors and Minnesota Timberwolves. James will form a core alongside Tyrese Maxey, Jaylen Brown, Joel Embiid and VJ Edgecombe. 

"I thought I was done when the season ended," said James in a statement. "I wasn't ready to announce it, and I knew I needed some time to really decide, but I was pretty sure I played my last game. I was honest at that last press conference when I said I needed to look at myself and deicide if I still love this game. I still truly love this game, and I have more to give.

"The last few weeks have really been special. I’ve never been able to have no clue what to do and take real time to just think. I’ve had an incredible few months with all the people I love trying to figure it all out. This is my last decision. I’m not going for money. I’m not going for family. What am I really playing for at this point?

"I still want to sacrifice. I still want to work. I still want to grind. I still want to compete, to win and to have a chance at the feeling of winning another championship.

"I believe I can help make the Philadelphia 76ers a championship team and I am so excited to energize a new fan base and start this incredible journey one last time.  

"Thank you LA. Miami I’ll forever love and Northeast Ohio will always home!"

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is negotiating a buyout with the Memphis Grizzlies, sources told Chris Haynes.

Caldwell-Pope intends to join LeBron James and sign with the Sixers.

Caldwell-Pope averaged 8.4 points and 2.5 rebounds last season. 

While LeBron James says he came close to retirement this offseason, he ultimately decided to continue his career and will sign a two-year contract with the Philadelphia 76ers. James could play both seasons and put off retirement until at least 2028.

"And my understanding is there's a real chance here he plays both of these years," said Shams Charania.

James said that he was leaning towards retirement when the Los Angeles Lakers were eliminated by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the second round of the playoffs. 

"I thought I was done when the season ended," wrote James on X. "I wasn't ready to announce it, and I knew I needed some time to really decide, but I was pretty sure I played my last game. I was honest at that last press conference when I said I needed to look at myself and decide if I still love truly love this game, and I have more to give."

There have been conflicting reports over the years on whether James would announce his retirement plans in advance to have a farewell tour, or if it would come suddenly.

James will turn 42 in December.

The Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors are showing interest in signing Mario Hezonja. The veteran wing recently informed Real Madrid that he intends to return to the NBA after spending the last six seasons in Europe.

Hezonja played five seasons in the NBA for the Orlando Magic, New York Knicks and Portland Trail Blazers. The 6-foot-8 wing then played a season apiece in Greece and Russia, before spending the last four years with Real Madrid.

Last season, Hezonja averaged 15 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists. The 31-year-old shot 44.4% from the floor over 80 games across EuroLeague and domestic competitions.

The Cleveland Cavaliers have maintained contact with free agent forward Jonathan Kuminga and his agent throughout LeBron James' free agency, with mutual interest existing between the two sides.

Kuminga, 23, became a free agent after the Atlanta Hawks declined their $24.3 million option on his contract. He averaged 12.2 points, 5.6 rebounds and shot 33 percent from three-point range across 36 games split between Atlanta and the Golden State Warriors last season.

Kuminga's agent, Aaron Turner, described his client's affinity for Cleveland in a brief interview.

"Jonathan likes the Cavs, likes (coach) Kenny Atkinson, and (star) Donovan Mitchell likes him," said Turner, noting that Kuminga trained in Cleveland for two months last summer.

Kuminga also has a prior relationship with Atkinson from the coach's time as a Golden State assistant under Steve Kerr.

The financial structure of any deal remains complicated. Cleveland could offer Kuminga roughly $6 million using cap space it would have otherwise directed toward James, or theoretically up to $15 million through a salary cap exception, though doing so would significantly limit what the team could offer unsigned veteran James Harden. The Cavaliers and Harden have intentionally left his new contract unfinalized to preserve roster flexibility, with a two- or three-year deal expected once Cleveland's broader plans take shape.

Kuminga, however, is believed to prefer a sign-and-trade involving Atlanta, which would allow him to earn closer to the $20 million to $23 million range he would have received had the Hawks exercised his option.

Both Cleveland and the Los Angeles Lakers have been linked to Kuminga as sign-and-trade candidates, though sources indicated the Lakers' potential trade package is considered underwhelming compared to what Cleveland could offer. The Cavaliers have been connected to possible trades involving veteran forward Max Strus and point guard Dennis Schroder as part of a potential deal. Any sign-and-trade would require Cleveland to remain under the NBA's roughly $209 million first apron, which is part of why Harden's new contract has not yet been finalized. Kuminga could also return to Atlanta on a short-term deal, with the Los Angeles Clippers and Milwaukee Bucks mentioned as additional potential destinations.

Cleveland reached the Eastern Conference finals for the first time since 2018 last season before being swept by the eventual champion New York Knicks. The team has since lost forward Dean Wade to Philadelphia, guard Keon Ellis to Brooklyn and forward Larry Nance Jr. to Indiana in free agency, in addition to missing out on James.

"There isn't much left out there," said a league source with knowledge of the Cavaliers' thinking. "They have to get their young guys ready to play."

Cleveland's young players include third-year wing Jaylon Tyson, who broke out last season, second-year guard Tyrese Proctor and rookie Meleek Thomas, the team's second-round pick who was named among the top players at NBA Summer League in Las Vegas.

The Houston Rockets have signed forward Julian Phillips. Terms were not disclosed, but it's likely that Phillips signed a one-year contract for the veteran minimum amount of $2.5 million.

The 6-foot-6 forward played the first two-and-a-half years of his career with the Chicago Bulls. Phillips was traded by the Bulls to the Minnesota Timberwolves ahead of last season's trade deadline.

In 167 NBA games over three seasons, Phillips has averaged 3.6 points and 1.5 rebounds in 11.2 minutes per game.

The Houston Rockets have signed free agent forward/center Oscar Tshiebwe.

Tshiebwe (6-9, 265) was eligible for the 2023 NBA Draft following his senior season at Kentucky.  He spent his rookie season as a two-way player with Indiana in 2023-24 and the past two seasons on a two-way contract with the Utah Jazz.  

In 49 career games with seven starts, Tshiebwe has averaged 7.0 points and 6.5 rebounds in 15.2 minutes per game.

The Portland Trail Blazers signed John Tonje to a two-way contract, sources told Shams Charania of ESPN.

Tonje averaged 2.5 points and 1.0 rebounds for the Celtics last season. 

Former NBA guard Tyrese Martin has signed with Barcelona in Spain for the upcoming season. Martin finished last season on a two-way contract with the Philadelphia 76ers.

Martin has also played with the Brooklyn Nets and the Atlanta Hawks in the NBA. In 122 NBA games, the 6-foot-6 guard has averaged 6.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.7 steals per game.

LeBron James' extended free agency process before choosing the Philadelphia 76ers had nothing to do with attention, drama, or any hope of teaming up with friends on rosters outside his list of suitors, according to a source close to James. James was not waiting on the Golden State Warriors or another team to trade for Anthony Davis, nor was he holding out for the Dallas Mavericks to make Kyrie Irving available.

James, 41, based his decision purely on his belief that Philadelphia gave him the best chance to win a fifth championship, the source told The Athletic. Philadelphia's stunning trade for Jaylen Brown on July 1st put the team in play to sign James.

"All of it was in the service of winning a championship," said the source. "Additionally, he's had the privilege of playing for three incredible fanbases in Cleveland, Miami, and L.A., and he's excited about playing in front of the passionate fanbase in Philadelphia."

James instructed agent Rich Paul to inform the 76ers of his decision Friday morning, shortly before the announcement became public. No one in James' inner circle knew of his choice beforehand, and the other suitors did not hear from Paul in advance either.

League sources said Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid had aggressively pursued James over the past several weeks, placing multiple phone calls in an effort to convince him to join Philadelphia. 

James is expected to view this as his final stop in the league, and sources said his basketball happiness, long cited as central to his decision, aligned directly with competing at a high level. The 76ers were not viewed by other franchises as a primary threat in the pursuit of James, but interest in Philadelphia was not new for him. A former Lakers teammate recalled James mentioning he seriously considered joining the 76ers back in 2018 before ultimately choosing Los Angeles.

Everything shifted for Philadelphia when first-year president of basketball operations Mike Gansey acquired Brown from the Celtics in exchange for Paul George and four future draft picks. Before that trade, the 76ers considered themselves longshots in the James sweepstakes.

"Now, we've got a pretty interesting roster," said a team source with knowledge of the pursuit.

Gansey previously worked in Cleveland's front office during James' second stint with the Cavaliers, spending most of that period running the team's G League affiliate before being promoted to assistant general manager in 2017. Despite that history, Gansey did not aggressively recruit James, nor did 76ers managing partner Josh Harris. Harris briefly crossed paths with James at a VIP event during Fanatics Fest in mid-July, exchanging a brief, cordial conversation without any indication of James' eventual decision.