76ers' future could look very different without LeBron James

The Philadelphia 76ers won the LeBron James lottery. They got the prized veteran, and that sets them up for what's about to be an exciting season.

A couple of teams wanted to get James, but he went to the Sixers, and that's great news for the short term. But, what about the long-term look for this team? When James retires, which will likely be after this season or next season, the 76ers will still have roster issues to deal with and other matters to work out.

Stephen Noh of The Sporting News has released a list ranking every team in the NBA for the 2029-30 season. Because this list looks at teams three years from now, in the future, he doesn't really take James into consideration. That hurts the 76ers' position on the tally.

After LeBron James retires, the 76ers could be in a pickle

Noh has the 76ers at No. 14 on the tally. Not exactly the best spot to be for the future of this team.

"Joel Embiid might be gone and LeBron James will almost certainly be gone in three years," he notes in the piece. "VJ Edgecombe will in all likelihood be re-signed as a restricted free agent, and Jaylen Brown and Tyrese Maxey will likely be extended."

He adds that this particular combo will give the team "a core trio of Brown, Maxey and MJ Edgecombe while removing the most onerous salary in Embiid from their books."

There are bright spots in this lineup, and Brown and Edgecombe are expected to be All-Stars, he notes, while "Maxey should be an All-NBA guard." It's a great core, but he makes a good point that it's also expensive. In order to thrive and get this number up, Philly would have to make some decisions and fill out more of its lineup.

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