For two straight years now, a former Kentucky Wildcat has played a role on an NBA Championship-winning team. First, it was Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Cason Wallace with the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2025, before Karl-Anthony Towns helped lead the New York Knicks to a title earlier this year. Now, due to an insane bit of breaking news, Tyrese Maxey appears to be next in line.
According to Shams Charania, LeBron James has signed a low-dollar (in relative terms) deal with the Philadelphia 76ers to, in plain terms, chase a ring. The Sixers already appeared loaded after snagging Jaylen Brown in a trade with the Boston Celtics, but with LeBron on board, their runway to a title appears clearer than any team in the league.
Maxey, who will continue to lead Philly's backcourt into this one-of-one new era, is the big blue beneficiary of a move that is unprecedented from just about every angle.
The Big Blue Nation will always be thrilled to see one of their own succeed on the next level, and signals are certainly poiting toward Maxey being primed for the highest level of success possible in the NBA. But it's as compelling to note that he'll be on one of the most interesting teams in league history.
BREAKING: LeBron James is signing with the Philadelphia 76ers on a two-year, $8 million deal with a player option, Klutch Sports Group and Klutch CEO and Game Over show host Rich Paul tells ESPN. pic.twitter.com/ALOlTkgdAV
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 24, 2026
The 76ers Are Now One of the Most Interesting Teams in NBA History
Pairing Maxey with VJ Edgecombe was already a huge win for the 76ers, but adding Brown and factoring in a (hopefully) healthy Joel Embiid made Philly look like serious contenders in the Eastern Conference already. But James joining the coup will remind long-time NBA fans of Michael Jordan's move to the Washington Wizards at the very end of his career.
Except, of course, the Wizards weren't contending for a title. The Sixers' talent goes well beyond their starting five; consider depth pieces like Labaron Philon and Anfernee Simons in the backcourt, as well as Justin Edwards (another former Cat) a little ways down.
This once in a lifetime news is the sort of "you had to be there" headline for basketball fans of every stripe and sort, and for folks in Kentucky specifically, it means tuning into Sixers games now more than ever.
Maxey, just entering his own stardom, has pretty much no excuse not to take this thing to the top in Philadelphia. With everything in order and expectations now through the roof, absolutely nothing could go wrong... right?
If Sixers fans can give the rest of us any advice, it's to "trust the process." If that means "LeGM" pushing trades midseason to ensure his chip chances, then so be it.
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