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The surprise signing of the offseason: LeBron James is going to the Philadelphia 76ers. The deal is for two years and worth $8 million with a player option, per ESPN’s Shams Charania.

The Sixers had already retooled by acquiring Jaylen Brown in a deal with the Boston Celtics, turning a middling contender into a team with championship-contending expectations. How did Philly land one of the all-time greats? There’s an agency thread behind the move — James and Tyrese Maxey are both repped by Klutch Sports, and that relationship clearly played a role in getting this done. A city that hasn’t been to the Eastern Conference Finals since 2001, LeBron injects new hope into a franchise that’s been a process away for two decades. Let’s discuss the fit and fallout from LeBron landing in Philly.

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Offensive synergy

Slotting James in at power forward solves Philadelphia’s biggest issue and provides a secondary playmaker to ease pressure on Maxey and Brown. And don’t forget about second-year guard VJ Edgecombe. James’ ability to push the pace and spark transition offense fuels more fast-break points and keeps defenses unsettled — especially critical when Joel Embiid sits. LeBron’s presence and gravity open up catch-and-shoot chances and off-ball movement, while his vision complements Maxey’s downhill game for easy buckets. If Embiid excelled with James Harden, he should thrive with James orchestrating. Chemistry will take time, but the upside is clear. 

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Rotation fallout

Touches are the obvious friction point. Brown will not see a 36% usage rate, while Maxey and Embiid will also see less time on-ball. Sacrifices will have to be made and hopefully, it doesn’t eat into Edgecombe’s ascension too much. Embiid’s health remains the swing factor for the whole equation; if he’s limited, James’ rebounding and rim-protection duties increase, which helps his own stat line but is a lot to ask across 82 games. Dean Wade‘s stint as the starting PF ended before the offseason even concluded.

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Fantasy implications

All the stars will take a usage hit; however, the move raises Philadelphia’s floor significantly — a team that struggled with secondary creation now has one of the best playmaking forwards ever as insurance. Given the usage is getting squeezed and redistributed, I don’t anticipate LeBron being too far off from his final season in L.A. — 20-6-7 with similar splits would leave him around the mid-40s-50s in 9-cat. I have him ranked 49th for now. I could also see a world where he’s among the top-assist generators in the league with a slight downtick in scoring.

Maxey holds in the first round because his efficiency will rise with sustained production. Edgecombe’s value is tough to predict and I’ll need to see what news comes out of training camp. Embiid is still one of the riskiest picks after the fourth round. Brown will likely be overdrafted in 9-cat leagues relative to his performance but is a top-30 player for points leagues. James lands in the same fourth/fifth-round mix as his other landing spots. It’s hard to imagine he would deliver anything less than another 20-6-6 campaign heading into his 24th NBA season.

An early, post-Summer League top-50 fantasy basketball draft rankings offers an updated perspective for 9-category formats. We also have news finally that LeBron James is joining the 76ers after a drawn-out process. Now that LeBron has a landing spot, let’s go over my early draft rankings.

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Top 10

1. Victor Wembanyama, SAS – F/C

2. Nikola Jokić, DEN – C

3. Luka Dončić, LAL – G

4. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, OKC – G

5. Cade Cunningham, DET – G

6. Tyrese Maxey, PHI – G

7. Anthony Edwards, MIN – G/F

8. Jayson Tatum, BOS – F

9. Jalen Johnson, ATL – F

10. Scottie Barnes, TOR – G/F

Many will have Jokić as the 1.01, but it’s Wemby’s time. Luka and SGA are interchangeable at No. 3. Cunningham’s turnovers can be frustrating, but he’s a stat-stuffer on both ends and can lead the league in assists. Maxey’s usage will take a slight hit with Jaylen Brown and James in the fold, but expect his efficiency to improve.

Tatum makes his return to the top 10, as he should be ready to go for a full season. Young bucks Jalen Johnson and Scottie Barnes’ versatility earns them late first-round validity — Johnson finished 13th in 9-cat last season.

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11–20

11. Jamal Murray, DEN – G

12. Donovan Mitchell, CLE – G

13. Tyrese Haliburton, IND – G

14. Giannis Antetokounmpo, MIA – F/C

15. Cooper Flagg, DAL – G/F

16. Kevin Durant, HOU – G/F

17. Chet Holmgren, OKC – F/C

18. Austin Reaves, LAL – G/F

19. Karl-Anthony Towns, NYK – F/C

20. Kawhi Leonard, LAC – F

Giannis lands in the second round because of his poor free-throw shooting and lack of 3s require too much work around. Now, if we’re talking points leagues, he’s a top-five player. Cooper Flagg ranks high, expect a big sophomore leap. He can literally do it all.

Haliburton is returning from an Achilles tear. I’d still proceed with some caution — though he should produce plenty of counting stats even if he misses games due to load management. Holmgren will have his best season to date, while Reaves gets to feast on usage post-LeBron.

KAT and Kawhi are both efficiency-driven, productive assets. Keep an ear out for any news regarding penalizing Leonard for his alleged cap circumvention investigation with the Clippers.  

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21–30

21. Josh Giddey, CHI – G/F

22. LaMelo Ball, MIN – G

23. Jalen Brunson, NYK – G

24. Trae Young, WAS – G

25. Stephen Curry, GSW – G

26. Lauri Markkanen, UTA – F

27. Derrick White, BOS – G

28. Bam Adebayo, MIA – F/C

29. James Harden, FA – G

30. Deni Avdija, POR – G/F

I expect the third round to be pretty guard-heavy. Giddey and Ball offer multi-cat upside at the point, while I anticipate strong bounce-backs from Young and Curry, who were both limited by injuries last season. Brunson is recovering from offseason wrist surgery, but the King of New York should be cleared by the preseason. Markkanen was eighth in per-game value in 9-cat last year. However, he only played in 42 games. He’ll play in far more this upcoming season with the Jazz finally looking to compete. An uptick in 3s could be coming for Adebayo along with his steady dose of double-doubles and stocks.

Harden’s usage and efficiency slipped in Cleveland — where he is expected to return — still useful, but no longer a top-15 lock. Avdija’s assists will take a hit with Ja Morant and Damian Lillard back in the fold, but he should remain Portland’s top offensive option.

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31–40

31. Jaren Jackson Jr., UTH – F/C

32. Trey Murphy III, NOR – G/F

33. Jalen Duren, DET – C

34. Devin Booker, PHO – G

35. Alperen Sengun, HOU – F/C

36. Amen Thompson, HOU – G/F

37. Pascal Siakam, IND – F/C

38. Evan Mobley, CLE – F/C

39. Brandon Miller, CHA – G/F

40. Jalen Williams, OKC – G/F

A deep, position-flexible tier that gives me some pause. JJJ is in a good spot to showcase his two-way ability. He just needs to rebound more. Mobley is a bit overrated, while Sengun and Amen Thompson offer rare stat-sheet variety for their size but still have holes in their games. Sengun’s issue is turnovers and poor free-throw shooting and Amen can’t shoot beyond 10 feet consistently. Good thing they got the best shooting coach in the game now. Trey Murphy III has a new head coach in Jamahl Mosley, who doesn’t exactly know how to enhance the team’s best players. I’m not out on him, but I’m somewhat hesitant.

Duren’s contract situation could impact his play. Let’s hope not — seems like the Pistons are playing with fire. Booker’s scoring and assists keep him in the top 35. That said, I’m not looking to draft him. Siakam remains a steady all-around option in Indiana and gets a bump with Haliburton returning. Brandon Miller’s about to go off, while Jalen Williams is ripe for a rebound campaign. Injuries crushed his confidence and ability last year.  

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41–50

41. Desmond Bane, ORL – G/F

42. Kon Knueppel, CHA – G/F

43. Nickeil Alexander-Walker, ATL – G/F

44. Keyonte George, UTA – G

45. Walker Kessler, LAL – C

46. Domantas Sabonis, SAC – F/C

47. Jaylen Brown, PHI – G/F

48. Kyrie Irving, DAL – G

49. LeBron James, PHI – F

50. Anthony Davis, WAS – F/C

The biggest risers into the top-50 crew are Kon Knueppel and Keyonte George. It may seem early, but I’d rather be early than late. These guys are going to ball. Kessler joining the Lakers will be great for his fantasy stock. Imagine how many easy conversions he’ll get playing as the roll-man for Luka and Reaves, plus he’s one of the best rim protectors in the game. I doubt the Kings will get rid of Sabonis, so he’ll have at least one year left of top-50 appeal as one of the best passing bigs and triple-double threats.

I’m trusting that a year off allowed Kyrie’s ACL to fully heal, in which case, he’s in a great position to cook with the Mavs lacking any true scorers or playmakers beyond Flagg.

Let’s close by turning our attention to LeBron and Brown. All the stars in Philadelphia will take a usage hit. However, I don’t anticipate LeBron being too far off from his final season in L.A. — 20-6-7. I could also see a world where he’s among the top assist generators in the league with a slight downtick in scoring.

While Brown is still going to provide buckets, rebounds and steals, he’ll likely be overdrafted in 9-cat leagues relative to his performance, but is a top-30 player for points leagues.

The NBA Summer League wrapped up in Las Vegas with the Golden State Warriors taking home the championship, and rookie Yaxel Lendenborg winning MVP honors. While it’s always dangerous to overreact to a handful of games against inconsistent competition, it gave us our first real look at how this rookie class translates to the NBA level.

This top 40 is built for 10- and 12-team leagues running three-round rookie drafts (36 picks), with a handful of extra names thrown in for depth. It’s a deep class once again and there will certainly be some surprises — especially at the top of the board.

Let’s get to it.

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Rookie rankings: The top 10

1. Caleb Wilson – F/C,  Chicago Bulls

We’re coming out swinging. Wilson over the consensus first pick, Cameron Boozer. I think Wilson has the highest ceiling in the class. Scoring, rebounding, stocks, 3s and a dog mentality — he looks like a star in the making. He’ll start and contribute right away for the Bulls. Across four games, he averaged 23.5 points, 7.3 rebounds, 2.5 blocks, 1.3 steals and 3.3 3s in 27.7 minutes per contest. Not worried about the turnovers or FT percentage, either.

2. Cameron Boozer – F, Memphis Grizzlies

Boozer is as efficient and productive as they come. He has the highest floor out of the gate and will be a strong fantasy asset in Year 1. Memphis is rebuilding and he’ll get plenty of usage and opportunity to continue his dominant play. Across six Vegas games, he posted 18.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.8 steals and 1.3 3s per game. There’s a reason why most have Boozer first overall. He’s one of the most decorated freshmen ever.

3. AJ Dybantsa – F, Washington Wizards

Dybantsa posted a 25/7/2 line with 2.5 steals and 1.5 blocks a game over two contests (32.4 PER, best ever for a No. 1 pick). If those stocks are real, that’ll boost his 9-cat value a ton. There are quite a few mouths to feed in Washington, but he’ll get ample touches playing with a floor general like Trae Young. Now we just need to see the 3-ball fall.

4. Darryn Peterson – G, Utah Jazz

Peterson is arguably the most polished offensive player in the class. Beyond the scoring, he did a great job showcasing his playmaking throughout the Salt Lake and Vegas Summer Leagues. The downside is that usage and on-ball touches won’t be as plentiful once the season starts. I love Peterson’s potential, but the environment lowers his ceiling.

5. Mikel Brown Jr. – G, Brooklyn Nets

After dealing with injuries in his only collegiate season, I thought Brown was quite impressive despite only seeing him in three games. He has the ball on a string, sees the court well and looks every bit like a kid that’s more than capable of running the Nets offense right now. In just 22 minutes per game, he put up 15.0 points, 4.0 assists, 1.5 steals and 2.2 3s per game. Brown and Egor Dёmin are going to be a nice backcourt of the future.

6. Darius Acuff Jr. – G, Sacramento Kings

Acuff was a letdown for much of the California Classic and Las Vegas Summer leagues. I’m still high on him as a player. Yet, the turnovers and shaky defensive effort were prominent despite the scoring and playmaking. I’m keeping him in my top 10 because by the regular season he’ll have more seasoned vets on the floor to alleviate some of the pressure and attention he drew. Still preferred for points over 9-cat leagues, though.

7. Brayden Burries – G – Milwaukee Bucks

He was the best and most consistent guard in Las Vegas. I’m going to eat crow because I gave him a D- for the landing spot after the draft. I stand by it for redraft — until the Bucks move off of one of Tyler Herro, Kevin Porter Jr. or Ryan Rollins. For dynasty, though, Burries could be a top-five guy. He shot 50% from the field, 36% on 3s and averaged 24-4-4 with over 2 stocks. In 9-cat or points leagues, he’s going to be GOOD.

8. Yaxel Lendeborg – F, Golden State Warriors  

I’m higher than consensus on the Summer League MVP. Probably because I care more about his role and situation than his age. Typically, you want the younger guys, but he’s so versatile that if the Warriors strike out on LeBron James, he’s done enough to command starter-like minutes already. Mainly because Jimmy Butler III is still recovering from a torn ACL, but Lendeborg does everything you want for fantasy and plays in a fantasy-friendly scheme.

9. Kingston Flemings – G, Atlanta Hawks

Flemings’ leadership, playmaking and defense stood out most. CJ McCollum is on a one-year deal, so Flemings is the point guard of the future. The shot looked rough, but overall, I came away encouraged that he’ll be fine in time. He’ll need to find his shot because the last thing the Hawks need is another non-shooting guard à la Dyson Daniels.

10. Keaton Wagler – G/F, Los Angeles Clippers

I was close to not having Wagler in my top 10. He didn’t look like a top-five pick in Game 1— he looked slow and overmatched. But by Game 4, he found his rhythm and comfort, showing real progress. With a chance to start for the Clippers, I gave him a boost in these rankings.

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Rookie rankings: Top 11-20

11. Hannes Steinbach – C, Charlotte Hornets

12. Morez Johnson Jr.– F, Dallas Mavericks

13. Ebuka Okorie – G, Detroit Pistons

14. Allen Graves – F, Toronto Raptors

15. Aday Mara – C, Oklahoma City Thunder

16. Cameron Carr – F, Los Angeles Lakers

17. Labaron Philon Jr. -G, Philadelphia 76ers

18. Meleek Thomas – G, Cleveland Cavaliers

19. Sergio de Larrea – G, Dallas Mavericks

20. Koa Peat – F, Phoenix Suns

Steinbach was the leading rebounder in college basketball last season. He averaged 9.2 RPG through five Vegas games — including a 15-board, double-double against Milwaukee — to back that up. Steinbach looked like he could unseat Moussa Diabaté and Ryan Kalkbrenner in short order, the best true, traditional center in this class.

Morez Johnson Jr. flashed real two-way stocks (3.0 BPG, 2.5 SPG) before an illness cut his summer short, exactly the defensive versatility Dallas’s new staff coveted. Ebuka Okorie’s playmaking and defense (2.4 SPG) held up even as his shooting cooled. He’s real and I wouldn’t be surprised if he outperforms Daniss Jenkins off the bench this upcoming season. Allen Graves did the most with the least hype in this range, punishing the glass and validating Toronto’s first-round bet while displaying two-way fantasy potential. He ended Vegas averaging 17-7-3 with 2 3s, 2 steals, 1 block and 51/50/100 shooting splits. WHAT?!

Aday Mara underwhelmed near the rim and on the glass in Vegas, but the passing and reads (3.7 APG) were on point. With Isaiah Hartenstein returning on a three-year deal and Thomas Sorber on his way back, Mara might be riding the pine for some time.

Cameron Carr looked like an early rotation piece for the Lakers. They’ll need his shot-making and athleticism. Labaron Philon Jr. was steady for Philadelphia. He has the best handle in the class, is a walking bucket and proved to be a strong facilitator (5.8 APG). Unfortunately, a crowded backcourt featuring Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, Jaylen Brown and Anfernee Simons will impact his production.

Meleek Thomas was the best pure scorer in Las Vegas at 27.3 points a game, and his play may be pushing Cleveland toward trading Dennis Schröder to clear a lane for him to cook. Sergio de Larrea’s playmaking… my god. 8.8 assists per game, including a SL-record 12-assist game. Ryan Nembhard was just traded to Atlanta, leaving really just de Larrea and Kyrie Irving as true point guards. He and Meleek Thomas are the biggest winners of the Summer League.

The 3-ball is still looking sketchy, but Koa Peat was solid everywhere else. Highly efficient in the mid-range and active on defense.

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Rookie rankings: Top 21-25

21. Chris Cenac Jr. – F/C, Boston Celtics

22. Dailyn Swain – F, Chicago Bulls

23. Christian Anderson Jr. — G, Charlotte Hornets

24. Nate Ament — F, Milwaukee Bucks

25. Bruce Thornton – G, Houston Rockets

Chris Cenac Jr. averaged 2.8 blocks across four games. I was surprised by how well he processed the game and how high his energy was. Two double-doubles and helping Boston win three of four games was a heck of a debut.

Dailyn Swain’s summer was bad in exactly the way scouts warned about pre-draft — a 4.3 PPG, 12.9% shooting in four games confirms the jumper is still a ” work in progress.” Bruce Thornton was the opposite story: a five-steal near-5×5 game and a 2.6 SPG average made him Houston’s actual engine after they traded up for him in the second round. I don’t know; Reed Sheppard might have some competition.  

Christian Anderson Jr. and Nate Ament round out the group as more limited, role-dependent pieces — Anderson projects as Coby White‘s backup, while Ament’s floor is baked in simply by being part of the Giannis trade return.

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Rookie rankings: The rest of the top 40

26. Bennett Stirtz – G, Oklahoma City Thunder

27. Karim Lopez – F, Memphis Grizzlies

28. Ryan Conwell – G/F, Miami Heat

29. Tarris Reed Jr. – F/C, San Antonio Spurs

30. Zuby Ejiofor – F, Atlanta Hawks

31. Jayden Quaintance – C, San Antonio Spurs

32. Joshua Jefferson – F, Brooklyn Nets

33. Henri Veesaar – C, Atlanta Hawks

34. Baba Miller – F, Los Angeles Clippers

35. Richie Saunders – F, Memphis Grizzlies

36. Alex Karaban – F, Sacramento Kings

37. Ja’Kobi Gillespie – G, San Antonio Spurs

38. Emanuel Sharp – G, Sacramento Kings

39. Isaiah Evans – G, Minnesota Timberwolves

40. Dillon Mitchell – F, Boston Celtics