LeBron James is back in the Eastern Conference for the first time in nearly a decade. And for the first time in his career, he'll square off against the Boston Celtics four times in the regular season.
But what does it mean? My thoughts on the trade have already been outlined. I don't think it will work. But there's absolutely a world in which it does. The Sixers undoubtedly have the talent to win, and if they find a way to make it all fit together, they'll be dangerous.
The Eastern Conference added a ton of talent this summer, and the Celtics lost talent. As the rest of the conference added pieces to help make their rosters fit together, Boston did the opposite. It will be banking on addition by subtraction and the value of internal development.
If the Celtics truly believe that losing Jaylen Brown will help them be a more well-rounded team while also promoting the development of guys like Payton Pritchard, Hugo Gonzalez, Baylor Scheierman, and Jordan Walsh, it could work out for the best. But James and the rest of the East have taken a different approach.
Kawhi Leonard (in theory) joined the Toronto Raptors, bolstering their roster. James and Brown have added talent to a Sixers roster that already had Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid, and VJ Edgecombe. The Indiana Pacers are getting Tyrese Haliburton back from injury. The Washington Wizards -- barring another setback -- are getting Anthony Davis back from injury. Giannis Antetokounmpo joined a better organization.
My thoughts on the 76ers don't hide the reality that the Eastern Conference objectively got more talented. The path to a title may be more difficult than ever for the Celtics. It's more difficult than ever for every Eastern Conference team.
And that's without mentioning the reigning champion New York Knicks. The Cade Cunningham-led Detroit Pistons. The Donovan Mitchell-led Cleveland Cavaliers. The young-and-hungry Atlanta Hawks, Charlotte Hornets, and Orlando Magic.
Take a look at this list of teams: Pistons, Celtics, Knicks, Cavaliers, Raptors, 76ers, Magic, Hornets, Heat, Pacers, Wizards. Three of those teams will not make the playoffs. One won't even make the Play-In. Even if you take out the Wizards and Hornets -- the two teams yet to make the playoffs in the last five years -- that still leaves one team out of the top-eight picture.
James joining the Sixers did more than just add talent to an already star-heavy team. It made the East even better than it already was. For the first time in what feels like forever, the East is deeper than the West.
As the Western Conference runs through the Oklahoma City Thunder and the San Antonio Spurs, the East will be a bloodbath. Anything can happen. Any team can win. And if nothing else, that will make for some very fun basketball.
© Isaiah J. Downing
Spencer Jones
1. Spencer Jones: Thunder vs. Nuggets
The Thunder are playing dirty. And they're using the second apron to do so. OKC just signed Spencer Jones to a two-year, $12 million offer sheet in restricted free agency. The Nuggets have 48 hours to match. But therein lies the problem.
Denver is trying to duck the second apron. Right now, the Nuggets are roughly $3.9 million under that line. If they match the offer sheet for Jones, it will take them above the second apron.
To make matters worse, the Nuggets have still yet to re-sign Peyton Watson. There were rumblings of them seeking out a sign-and-trade, but they could also look to dump one of Aaron Gordon, Christian Braun, or Cameron Johnson to make room for Watson.
Now, not only do the Nuggets have the Watson situation on their plate, but they also have to worry about Jones. Jones, who would give them some much-needed depth at the forward position if they were to lose Watson.
Meanwhile, the Thunder are around $6.9 million under the second apron. So, they can sign Jones and still remain below the mark. A smart, yet devious, decision by the Thunder to put the Nuggets in a tough spot.
2. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
Not to harp on the James-to-Philadelphia situation too much, but this is all very funny. It's a move that has played out plenty of times before: A bunch of stars team up, so role players join them in hopes of winning a title.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and the Memphis Grizzlies agreed to a buyout, and now, Caldwell-Pope will sign a one-year, minimum deal with the Sixers. Role player joins the band of stars trying to win a title. Classic.
Have we not learned from the 2023 Phoenix Suns? From the 2021 Brooklyn Nets? What about the James-led 2021 Los Angeles Lakers that thought, 'Oh yeah, let's add Russell Westbrook! Let's bring the stars to LA instead of trying to build a team that fits well!' How did that pan out?
The irony of that comparison? Caldwell-Pope was one of the players traded to the Wizards in exchange for Westbrook. He won a title with the Denver Nuggets in 2023, but for the past two seasons, he's struggled to shoot the ball from deep range (which is what the 76ers will likely be looking for from him).
3. John Tonje to the Blazers
It's not really big-time NBA news, but it's Celtics-related, so I felt it necessary to include. John Tonje, who spent Summer League with the Celtics, has agreed to a two-way contract with the Portland Trail Blazers for the upcoming campaign.
Tonje played well for the Celtics in Las Vegas. Across five games (24.2 minutes), he averaged 14.8 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.0 assists, and 1.2 steals. The 25-year-old shot 51.0% from the floor and 45.2% from 3-point land on 6.2 attempts per contest.
On top of that, Tonje's defense was impressive. He wasn't perfect, getting blown by at times, but the hustle and effort were there. And the shot looked real. He seemed like the type of guy Boston should consider for a two-way spot.
But the Blazers swooped in. The fit is a bit weird, considering how many guards Portland already has on the roster, but it could really use an infusion of 3-point shooting. Tonje could give them that. Tough loss for Boston (albeit on the fringes of the roster) and a nice upside swing for Portland.
© Ken Blaze
Darius Garland and LeBron James
4. More LeBron James tidbits
Why did James choose the 76ers? What made him stray away from the Antetokounmpo-led Heat and his hometown Cavaliers? Well, Brian Windhorst of ESPN put out a great article detailing the saga.
In the case of the Sixers -- like the other decisions -- it was a multitude of factors. The addition of Brown played a part, as did Maxey. The Sixers point guard is repped by Klutch Sports.
"Maxey was an unquestionable key factor in the 76ers' landing James," Windhorst wrote. "Maxey had a strong relationship with James, as both are represented by Klutch Sports. With James joining a new team that has lots of egos and needs, having a connection with the point guard was an edge for Philly."
Well, why not the Heat? Why not team up with Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo? In James' eyes, the Heat's lack of