LeBron James’ decision opens the Sixers’ championship window

By Owen Nelson | Jul 2, 2018

PHILADELPHIA, PA - APRIL 6: LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Ben Simmons #25 of the Philadelphia 76ers look on during the game between the two teams on April 6, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) /

On Sunday, LeBron James signed a four-year deal with the Los Angeles Lakers. Here’s how is impacts the future of the Philadelphia 76ers.

Well, the Eastern Conference just got a whole lot easier. Now it’s basically a contest between the Philadelphia 76ers and Boston Celtics of who can reach the NBA Finals. With LeBron James heading to the west coast, the Cleveland Cavaliers are a sure-fire lottery team unless they try to remain relevant by signing middle-of-the-road free agents. However, the Cavaliers’ 2019 first-round pick is top-10 protected, so it’s in their best interest to lose next season.

So, between the 76ers and Celtics, which team will make it to the Finals? There are many, many variables still yet to be decided to give an answer. Will one of the aforementioned teams land Kawhi Leonard via trade? How will Gordon Hayward fit in with Boston? Can the 76ers replenish their bench?

Losing Marco Belinelli and Ersan Ilyasova will obviously sting as they played massive roles down the stretch of the season. Without those two vets, the Sixers wouldn’t have finished the season sitting third in the Eastern Conference with 52 wins. Now, how do Brett Brown and Co. go about replacing the two Europeans?

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With over $30 million in cap space, and Jerryd Bayless‘ $8.5 million seemingly coming off the books, the Sixers have a lot to work with. They could utilize that money by bringing back J.J. Redick, and 2-3 solid bench players. Maybe players such as Kyle O’Quinn, Wayne Ellington and Davis Bertans.

Conversely, the Sixers could use their abundance of cap space to make a splash. Perhaps Zach LaVine or Jabari Parker could be on the cards. Besides, would they even be accepting of bench roles? Also, the Sixers are obviously aiming to win a championship next season, would it be beneficial to add more young players with little-to-no playoff experience? Thankfully Brett Brown will be making the decisions.

As I alluded to earlier, it’s still a possibility that Kawhi Leonard suits up for the 76ers next season. Although, with LeBron going to the Lakers, the odds of Kawhi coming to Philly have undoubtedly decreased. I personally don’t think it’s worth trading solid starters as well as future first-rounders for an injured player who will most likely leave at the end of the season.

Moving on, the Golden State Warriors are still the favorites to win the 2019 NBA Championship. And rightfully so. The Lakers aren’t in a position to challenge the Warriors just yet. Even getting Kawhi Leonard may not be enough to dethrone the Warriors.

With the East getting so much easier, the route to the NBA Finals could potentially be an easy one for the 76ers. If they do get to the Finals and face the Warriors, the 76ers have a pretty good chance at dethroning them, in my opinion.

Many factors go into this — our young guys already have playoff experience, we have one of the best coaches in the league, and, who will guard Joel Embiid? I’m not saying the 76ers will win the NBA Championship next season, but they do have a good chance at ruffling a few feathers.

Next: Sixers should add depth, trade for Chandler

To conclude, the Warriors have already won the 2019 NBA Championship. LeBron moving to the Lakers just means he won’t appear in another NBA Finals in his career unless something terrible happens in Golden State. The future remains blindingly bright in Philadelphia, a lot of success lies ahead of this young, talented and hungry team.