For at least one more season, the King is coming back. He’ll just call a new place home.LeBron James, the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, announced Friday, July 24 on social media that he has agreed to a contract with the Philadelphia 76ers, ending his eight-season run with the Lakers. This becomes the fourth different franchise for James, marking the first time he will play under a new uniform since the start of the 2018 season. It also sets up an intriguing pairing with newly-acquired star forward Jaylen Brown and team mainstays Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid.James will sign a two-year, $8 million contract with a player option, a person with direct knowledge of the matter confirmed to USA TODAY Sports.The person spoke under the condition of anonymity because they were not publicly authorized to comment on the contract details.“This is my last decision,” James said in his post on social media. “I’m not going for money. I’m not going for family. What am I really playing for at this point? I still want to sacrifice. I still want to work. I still want to grind. I still want to compete, to win and to have a chance at the feeling of winning another championship.“I believe I can help make the Philadelphia 76ers a championship team and I am so excited to energize a new fan base and start this incredible journey one last time.”This deal brings James back for the 2026-27 season, which will be his 24th and will extend his record for most seasons played in NBA history.This is a clear indication that the 76ers intend to compete with the New York Knicks and other top teams in the conference for supremacy in the East. After rallying from a 3-1 series deficit in the first round of the playoffs, Philadelphia upset the Boston Celtics, winning three consecutive games to advance into the conference semifinals.That, however, was a different story. The Knicks completely overwhelmed the Sixers, sweeping them en route to New York’s first championship in 53 years. With James and Brown, Philadelphia’s offense will be a fascinating watch. Because of the availability issues with Embiid and former 76er Paul George, Maxey was forced to carry the scoring burden for much of the season. Maxey was also Philadelphia’s primary ball-handler, and James instantly brings a play-making force to help initiate offense.Adding Rookie of the Year finalist VJ Edgecombe to the mix, the 76ers and coach Nick Nurse will need to find a way to distribute the ball cleanly and ensure that each player has his role clearly defined.This is, to be sure, a good problem to have. But with all these stars on the roster, expectations – both internal and external – will be astronomical. So much, so that the only acceptable result, assuming full health, would be a deep run in the playoffs, at least with a trip to the conference finals.This comes in the wake of Los Angeles getting swept in the Western Conference semifinals against the Oklahoma City Thunder, a series during which the Lakers were missing star player and NBA leading scorer Luka Dončić.James became an unrestricted free agent after he played the final season of his contract in 2025-26, which was a player option. James and his agent, Rich Paul, had acknowledged in June 2025 that the Lakers were building for the future – a future that seemingly might not have included James.The Lakers played extremely well down the stretch during the games when James, Dončić and Austin Reaves were healthy and available. Los Angeles won 16 of the 18 games prior to April 2, which was the night Dončić suffered a hamstring injury that sidelined him for the remainder of the year. The team then lost three in a row (including the game that Dončić left early), but James was instrumental in elevating the play of the Lakers, who also missed Reaves for extended stretches.In particular, James, who turns 42 in December, was exceptional during the first-round series against the Houston Rockets, a series Los Angeles won in six games.LeBron James contract detailsJames is set to sign a 2-year contract with the 76ers worth $8 million and it includes a player option for the second season, a person with direct knowledge of the matter confirmed to USA TODAY Sports. This means James will essentially make the veteran's minimum during the 2026-27 season and will be the cheapest contract he has ever signed. Why?Because he had the leverage and ability to do so, even at 41 years old. Here's more on why James signed such a small deal compared to other NBA superstars:LeBron James not done yetAlthough he tied for the lowest scoring average of his career this season, James nonetheless scored 20.9 points per game, adding 7.2 assists and 6.1 rebounds, and shot 51.5% from the field, 31.7% on 3-pointers and 73.7% on free throws. He made the All-Star team for a league-record 22nd consecutive time.“I thought I was done when the season ended,” James said. “I wasn’t ready to announce it, and I knew I needed some time to really decide, but I was pretty sure I played my last game. I was honest at that last press conference when I said I needed to look at myself and decide if I still love this game.“I still truly love this game, and I have more to give. The last few weeks have really been special. I’ve never been able to have no clue what to do and take real time to just think. I’ve had an incredible few months with all the people I love trying to figure it all out.”LeBron James statsA 22-time All-Star and four-time MVP, James is also a four-time NBA champion – with four NBA Finals MVP trophies along the way. He’s a member of the NBA 75th Anniversary Team and had stops with the Cleveland Cavaliers (twice), the Miami Heat and the Lakers. He won at least one NBA championship with each squad.James is also a three-time Olympic gold medalist (2008, 2012, 2024) and won bronze in 2004.On Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024, after the Lakers drafted his eldest son, Bronny, the pair also became the first father-son duo to appear in a regular-season game together, in a 110-103 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves.James already holds several NBA all-time records, including points scored (43,440), field goal attempts (31,502), minutes played (61,030) and he also holds the all-time record for nearly every major individual playoff statistic.– Lorenzo ReyesLeBron James' social media postJames took to social media for a long post about joining the 76ers, his desire to play another season, and more. You can read the full story here.– Joe Rivera76ers championship odds after LeBron signingUSA TODAY Sports' Jacob Camenker has an updated list of championship odds. Here is the section on Philadelphia.4. Philadelphia 76ers (+1000)No team has improved more during the 2026 NBA offseason than the 76ers. Not only did they ink LeBron on a two-year, minimum contract, they also traded Paul George and two first-round picks to add Jaylen Brown to their starting lineup. Adding those two talents to a strong core that already featured Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid and VJ Edgecombe could allow Philadelphia to emerge as the team to beat in the Eastern Conference.LeBron James signing reactionsThe LeBron James signing sent the entire sports world into a spin on Friday; here are the best reactions to the summer's biggest free agency decision.LeBron James dayGovernor Josh Shapiro has added some declarations to the mix, making today LeBron James Day. — Gabe ZaldivarHow LeBron James impacts 76ers roster, lineupAdding LeBron James will give the 76ers perhaps the most potent starting lineup in the NBA next season. Click here for a breakdown of the 76ers roster and projected starters moving forward now that James is in the fold.