Why LeBron Really Signed Isn't About LeBron

By the 76ers Nightly Desk · Tuesday, September 29

Philadelphia's roster is set, both injury timelines point to before the opener, and the newest reporting says LeBron James picked Philadelphia because of Tyrese Maxey, not despite him. The preseason opens October 5, the regular season starts October 20 at the Knicks, and the payroll sitting above two aprons hasn't gotten any friendlier.

76ers Nightly artwork — Illustration by Hoops Nightly.

Why did LeBron actually pick the Sixers?

The Philadelphia Inquirer's David Murphy wrote on September 29 that LeBron James is here because of Tyrese Maxey, and ESPN's Dave McMenamin reported James cited Maxey directly as a key factor in signing. The Inquirer's Gina Mizell noted Maxey himself called it "weird" watching LeBron and Jaylen Brown suit up in Sixers jerseys for the first time.

When do we see this roster in a game?

Preseason opens October 5 against the Knicks, then road trips to Brooklyn on October 8 and Boston on October 10, before a rematch with the Celtics at home on October 16. The real opener is October 20 at the Knicks, on NBC and Peacock, the first look at Embiid, Maxey, Brown and James with real stakes.

Is the roster healthy heading into that opener?

Adem Bona and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope are both day-to-day, Bona with a foot/leg issue and Caldwell-Pope with a finger/arm injury on his right side, and both carry an estimated return date of October 1. That leaves nearly three weeks of camp and preseason to get back to game speed before the opener.

What's the number that actually matters right now?

$213.2M is the total on 18 contracts, already above the $209.0M first apron and closing in on the $221.7M second apron, with the luxury tax line at $200.4M. Embiid at $58.1M, Brown at $57.1M and Maxey at $40.8M carry that number, and interim president Bob Myers has almost no room left to add anything before the season starts.

Did the September 21 exits leave the backcourt thin?

Kyle Lowry, MarJon Beauchamp and Tyrese Martin all left the same day, September 21, and nothing has replaced them on paper. Anfernee Simons, Caldwell-Pope, Caleb Love and VJ Edgecombe are the names left to cover those backcourt minutes, and whether that's enough behind Maxey stays unanswered until games count.

The verdictThe Sixers won't play a game that counts for three more weeks, but the health timelines are lining up, the reasoning behind adding LeBron is finally on the record, and the bill for all of it is already above two aprons.

When do the 76ers play their first preseason game?

October 5 at home against the Knicks.

Is Adem Bona expected to be ready for the season opener?

He's listed day-to-day with a foot/leg issue and has an estimated return date of October 1, well before the October 20 opener at the Knicks.