The free agency news the NBA has been waiting for finally dropped: LeBron James is signing with the Philadelphia 76ers.
If the Chicago Bulls had any designs on making a surprise run in the Eastern Conference, that dream is officially dead. But that's good news for a franchise that finally decided to tear it all down and rebuild.
Bulls' executive VP of basketball operations Bryson Graham's decision to forget the present and plan for the future looks even smarter now.
LeBron's move to Philly proves the Bulls picked the right time to rebuild
James signed a two-year, $8 million contract to join his fourth (and final ... right?) NBA team.
His decision to join Tyrese Maxey, Jaylen Brown and Joel Embiid in Philly vaults the Sixers to the top of the East alongside the defending NBA champion New York Knicks. The Detroit Pistons and Cleveland Cavaliers are also in the mix.
The Toronto Raptors (especially if they land Kawhi Leonard), Boston Celtics and Atlanta Hawks are lurking as well.
But Philadelphia's roster — which also includes VJ Edgecombe, Anfernee Simons, Dean Wade and rookie Labaron Philon Jr. — is the most talented in the conference.
The Bulls will not be crashing the party anytime soon, but that's OK. In fact, it's better than OK. It's fantastic.
Chicago was stuck in the mediocrity mud for a half-decade, building a team around veterans like DeMar DeRozan, Nikola Vucevic, Zach LaVine and Lonzo Ball — players who were good enough to battle for a playoff spot but not good enough to actually win anything.
And that's exactly what happened. The Bulls made three consecutive trips to the Play-In tournament and failed all three times to make the playoffs. They were the NBA's poster child for averageness.
Then, mercifully, the former regime under Arturas Karnisovas cleaned house, trading away Ayo Dosunmu, Coby White and Vucevic in an effort to bottom out. The returns were too little and the moves were too late, but it finally pointed the franchise in the right direction.
Then Graham arrived with a realistic, patient approach to a long-overdue rebuild. He lucked into the No. 4 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft and a generational prospect in Caleb Wilson.
He hired Tiago Splitter as his new head coach. He traded for Nic Claxton. He signed veterans Norman Powell and Zach Collins, who should give Chicago a boost in the short term, to very tradeable contracts that should also provide a boost in the long term.
With Josh Giddey and Matas Buzelis joining Wilson and fellow rookie Dailyn Swain, the franchise is finally on the right track. LeBron's decision to join the 76ers only cements it.
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