LeBron James’ 76ers decision puts Knicks on a complicated path to an NBA Finals repeat

This time, the 76ers opted for a different type of process — and its effectiveness will directly impact the Knicks’ quest to repeat after snapping their 53-year drought. 

This — the current roster assembled after LeBron James signed in Philadelphia on a two-year, $8 million deal with a player option Friday — is far from the draft-and-develop philosophy that Sam Hinkie once used more than a decade ago. Instead, new president of basketball operations Mike Gansey banked on an approach that requires microwaving chemistry, collecting superstars and hoping, in a small window, that a title follows.

If it works, that has the potential to make the Knicks’ path back to the NBA Finals complicated, too. 

Because on paper, at least, the 76ers now resemble a significant obstacle. James has established himself as one of the greatest players in NBA history, winning titles with the Cavaliers, Heat and Lakers over a 23-year career. At 41 years old, and 42 on Dec. 30, he called this his “last decision” in a series of X posts Friday.

The 76ers also added former Celtics star Jaylen Brown — capable of being the primary scorer for an offense — in a blockbuster trade earlier this month, and they already had Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and V.J. Edgecombe on their roster, too. 

New York Knicks guard Josh Hart defends against Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James during the fourth quarter of the Los Angeles Lakers vs New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden in New York, New York, Sunday, February 1, 2026. JASON SZENES/ NY POST

Embiid, a former MVP who has been limited to 57 regular-season games the last two years because of injuries, can still be a primary scorer when healthy. He dropped 40 points against the Pelicans in a Jan. 31 game and recorded 30 or more points 14 times across 38 regular-season games in 2025-26. Maxey blossomed into a star at just 25 years old, and last year, with Embiid in and out of the lineup, averaged 21.4 shots per game.

And Edgecombe finished third in Rookie of the Year voting, flashed his potential against the Knicks during his first taste of the postseason in May and is seemingly set to start alongside this collection of established stars. 

“I’m not going for money,” James wrote on X. “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.” 

This will be a finite window for the 76ers, but when the Knicks and 76ers meet for the first time next season, Philadelphia will be far from the same team that the Knicks swept in the second round of the 2026 playoffs. That 76ers group had Paul George and Kelly Oubre Jr. in the starting lineup. That version had Quentin Grimes as a critical piece off the bench.

How will head coach Nick Nurse find ways to get everyone enough chances? Who will take the final shot in a tied playoff game? Is James content with ceding the spotlight, and some shots, to Philadelphia’s younger stars? 

Karl-Anthony Towns of the New York Knicks plays defense during the game against Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers during Round Two Game Four of the 2026 NBA Playoffs on May 10, 2026 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NBAE via Getty Images

The Knicks, largely, will look the same — and that was by design. Their starting lineup of Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby and Josh Hart all meshed perfectly once the playoffs arrived and will enter with two full seasons worth of chemistry. Key reserves, from Landry Shamet and Jordan Clarkson to Jose Alvarado and Miles McBride, all returned, too. The only key piece lost was Mitchell Robinson, who signed with the Celtics after owner James Dolan demanded that the Knicks stay under the second apron. 

Sure, there was the scenario where James could have returned to the Cavaliers and paired with Donovan Mitchell. Cleveland doesn’t have the same supporting cast, though, and folded against the Knicks in the Eastern Conference finals after a Game 1 collapse. Sure, there was a scenario where James could’ve returned to Miami, too, and paired with Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo. That might’ve been the worst-case outcome for the Knicks. 

This one still could be a headache for Mike Brown’s team, too. Plenty of it depends on Embiid’s health. On James still having enough left with retirement front of mind. On all those other Eastern Conference contenders — the Heat, the Cavaliers, the Celtics with a healthy Jayson Tatum, the Pacers with a healthy Tyrese Haliburton, the Pistons and the up-and-coming Magic — finding some way to fade. 

With one announcement late Friday morning, the 76ers might have become the Knicks’ most difficult roadblock. Emphasis on might.