​PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – JANUARY 28: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers dribbles the ball against Tyrese Maxey #0 of the Philadelphia 76ers at the Wells Fargo Center on January 28, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The 76ers defeated the Lakers 118-104. 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. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)Getty ImagesThe NBA’s LeBron James Free-Agency Watch is finally over. James announced Friday that he’s signing with the Philadelphia 76ers on a two-year deal worth nearly $8 million.In doing so, he upended the league’s 2026-27 championship picture.Heading into the offseason, the Sixers opened as +6000 favorites to win the championship. After they traded for Boston Celtics wing Jaylen Brown at the start of free agency, they jumped to +2200, putting them behind only the San Antonio Spurs, Oklahoma City Thunder, New York Knicks and the Celtics.After signing LeBron, they’re now +1000 to win the 2026-27 title. The Spurs (+260) and Thunder (+260) are still the two clear favorites, but the Sixers are right behind the reigning-champion Knicks (+900) and are now ahead of the Celtics (+1400).”A source familiar with James’ thinking” told ESPN’s Dave McMenamin that “James’ choice hinged on the pursuit of a fifth championship. After weighing his options, he landed on Philadelphia as the best situation for that.”If the Thunder and Spurs weren’t under serious consideration and the Knicks were out after just winning the 2026 title, the Sixers were LeBron’s next-best option, as evidenced by their surge up the title-odds leaderboard. However, there is no shortage of skeptics questioning how much the King’s arrival in Philly moves the needle on this year’s championship race. There’s no guarantee that the new-look Sixers coalesce in time—and, more importantly, get to mid-April in one piece—but anyone rushing to declare them a disaster in the making is missing the forest for the trees.How Does LeBron Fit In Philly?After the Sixers introduced Mike Gansey as their new president of basketball operations in early June, Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment president of sports Bob Myers—the architect of a four-time champion in Golden State—identified his chief concern with his new club.”We’ve got to find an identity,” Myers told reporters. “We just don’t have one. That may be a harsh thing to say, but look at the numbers. We were not elite offensively or defensively. If you’re going to win at the highest level, you’ve got to be great at something.”It’s safe to say the Sixers have an identity now.If anything, LeBron might be the connective tissue that they were missing. Although Tyrese Maxey has made major strides as a playmaker in recent years, he isn’t a natural point guard like Chris Paul or Tyrese Haliburton. He averaged a career-high 6.6 assists per game this pas