The Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Clippers wanted to sign LeBron James, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN.
James, who left the Los Angeles Lakers after eight seasons, will play for the Philadelphia 76ers next season.
“There were surprising suitors along the way,” McMenamin wrote. “The Boston Celtics, James’ consistent nemesis through the years, expressed interest, sources told ESPN. The LA Clippers even discussed a lucrative one-season contract north of $20 million that would allow him to stay at his Brentwood, California, home, sources said.”
James, 41, signed a two-year, $8 million contract with the 76ers. The second year of the deal is a player option.
The Celtics traded Jaylen Brown to the 76ers this summer. That blockbuster trade pushed James to sign with Philadelphia, sources told Dallas Sports Journal.
James chose the 76ers over the Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat, Golden State Warriors and Minnesota Timberwolves. Brown, Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey heavily recruited James, sources said.
The Clippers traded Kawhi Leonard to the Toronto Raptors this summer, but the trade is on hold until the NBA investigation into whether LAC circumvented the salary cap to pay Leonard is over.
After McMenamin’s report came out, a source close to James told Dallas Sports Journal, “LeBron would never play for the Celtics or Clippers.”
The 76ers now have a lethal core of James, Embiid, Brown, Maxey and VJ Edgecombe. Philadelphia also added Dean Wade and Anfernee Simons this summer.
Arguably the best player in NBA history, James appeared in 60 games last season, his 23rd year in the NBA. He averaged 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 7.2 assists per game for the Lakers.
In the 2026 playoffs against the Houston Rockets and Oklahoma City Thunder, James put up 23.2 points, 6.7 rebounds and 7.3 assists per game. He’s still an elite offensive performer despite being the oldest active player in the NBA.
James, who has been in the NBA since 2003, is a four-time MVP, four-time champion and four-time Finals MVP. He’s the all-time leader in points, field goals, minutes and games and has made 21 All-NBA teams and 22 All-Star teams.
The 76ers have never advanced past the second round of the playoffs in the Embiid era, which began in 2016-17. That should change next season with James in the fold next to Embiid, Maxey, Edgecombe and Brown.
As expected, James will wear No. 23 with the 76ers. The future Hall of Famer turns 42 in December.
