We’re now into the dog days of the NBA season.
LeBron James made his decision. Luka Doncic got his center in Walker Kessler. Giannis Antetokounmpo is with the Heat.
Over the last few months, there have been some seismic changes in the NBA, leaving the landscape looking very different heading into next season.
Here are the biggest winners and losers so far this summer.
Winner: Philadelphia 76ers
The 76ers traded Paul George for Jaylen Brown and acquired James in free agency, catapulting them into becoming championship contenders. Brown finished sixth in MVP voting last season. James is easily a top-20 player in the NBA.
The 76ers have gone from being mired in mediocrity, failing to get past the second round of the playoffs since they drafted Joel Embiid with the No. 3 overall pick in 2014, to becoming the most interesting team in the league.
There are a lot of questions about how this roster will work. There might be too many chefs in the kitchen with Embiid, Brown, James, Tyrese Maxey and V.J. Edgecombe all needing touches.
But the 76ers have the potential to move the needle. James went to the opposite coast of his family and joined a team with which he has no history because he believes they give him his best chance of winning his fifth championship.
That says a lot about the 76ers’ prospects.
Loser: Golden State Warriors
The Warriors went all in on trying to get James onto their team. Steph Curry, who normally remains mum about front office moves, publicly pitched for James to join the Warriors. Draymond Green declined his $27.7 million player option so the Warriors could pay James more money.
But James chose to join the 76ers, and the Warriors have pretty much stood pat this offseason. That leaves Curry, who turns 39 next season, running things back with the same roster he had last season— you know, the one that didn’t make the playoffs. Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody will miss the start of the season because of injuries. The Warriors know they’re not title contenders next season.
That’s a shame for Curry, who wants to play meaningful basketball in the sunset of his career.
Winner: LeBron James
James mulled over where he would take his talents for his fourth and final stop of his illustrious career for more than three weeks.
There were many factors to consider. Would he prioritize tying his career into a neat bow by returning to the Cavaliers, who selected him as the No. 1 overall pick in 2003? Would he join forces with Antetokounmpo in Miami and try to win a third ring with the franchise that turned him into an NBA champion in 2012? Would he join Curry and Green on the Warriors to create a geriatric super team?
But James chose to prioritize winning. In retrospect, this all makes so much sense.
James has devoted his life to basketball since he was in middle school. The reason why he became the first player in NBA history to reach his 23rd season is because of his unparalleled dedication to his craft. If he’s still showing up to arenas five hours before games and missing countless moments with his family and friends, it might as well mean something.
And in the NBA meaning is defined by winning.
So James went to where he believes he has his best shot of adding to his legacy. if he’s still pouring his heart into the sport, he might as well go all in on having another trophy to show for it. With the 76ers, he has a real shot of being atop the mountain again.
Loser: New York Knicks
Jalen Bruson and Co. are coming off of a magical championship run. No one thought they’d be hoisting the Larry O’Brien trophy in June. No one thought Brunson would turn into one of the biggest superstars in the NBA. They left their detractors reeling.
But their path to repeating as champions just got much tougher. The 76ers are loaded. The Heat will be formidable with Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo once they find their rhythm. Tyrese Haliburton is going to be on a revenge mission next season after returning from a torn Achilles’ tendon that he suffered during the 2025 NBA Finals. The East is no longer a cakewalk.
The Knicks are the team to beat. But there’s now a lot of talent in their conference nipping at their heels, threatening to derail their goal of proving the league wrong once again.
