LeBron James has officially signed with the Philadelphia 76ers, the NBA confirmed. The league updated its transaction log on Sunday afternoon, stating that the Philadelphia 76ers signed forward LeBron James to a contract.
James, 41, first revealed his intention to join Philadelphia on Friday after leaving the Los Angeles Lakers, ending an eight-year run with the team. The official move came two days later.
James signed a two-year contract worth $8 million, according to ESPN. He made nearly $53 million last season with the Lakers.
To complete the move, the 76ers waived former first-round pick Dalen Terry, according to the NBA's transaction log. The move allows Philadelphia to add James' salary to its payroll without exceeding the league's first apron under NBA salary cap rules.
The transaction log also showed that the Memphis Grizzlies waived two-time NBA champion Kentavious Caldwell-Pope on Sunday. Caldwell-Pope is expected to join James in Philadelphia, reuniting him with his former Lakers teammate. The pair won the NBA championship together in 2020 inside the Orlando bubble.
James' announcement
James explained his decision in a statement posted to X on Friday. "I thought I was done when the season ended. 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," he wrote. "I was honest at that last press conference when I said I needed to look at myself and decide if I still love this game."
"I still truly love this game, and I have more to give," James continued. "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," he added. "Thank you LA. Miami I'll forever love and Northeast Ohio will always home!"
Trump weighs in
Shortly after James' move was revealed on Friday, President Donald Trump was asked during a press conference to name the greatest basketball player of all time. He named Michael Jordan.
"Michael Jordan's a guy that's a friend of mine, I've played golf with him," Trump said. "He's a really good guy and I think LeBron is - maybe he's a racist, but maybe he doesn't like Trump, I don't know - but I only like people that like me, so I would say Michael Jordan all the way."
