Should 76ers be favorite to win 2027 title?
Should the 76ers be the Favorite to win the 2027 NBA Finals?
By: Andrew Ferguson
After months of speculation, rumors and debate, Lebron has finally announced that he’s taking his talents to… the City of Brotherly Love? That nickname sounds kind of… nevermind, I won’t say it. Why Philadelphia of all places? Does he love the city? Does he not care about his legacy? Or is he just ring chasing? We’ll dive into the career of Lebron plenty. But with this move, the 76ers definitely moved up in the odds to win a championship, but they still aren’t the favorite. Lebron at 41 years of age doesn’t move the needle like it used to, but his supporting cast might be enough to win him one more ring before it’s all said and done for James. But how would you feel about another Lebron title in this fashion and do you think it’s possible?
The 76ers have undoubtedly made the biggest moves in free agency this offseason. It started with dumping a poor, washed up Paul George contract and somehow turned it into a former NBA Finals MVP in Jaylen Brown. Why is Brown so underrated? He just won the Finals MVP two years ago. I really think the Celtics will regress without their co star so this was a confusing move to me. 76ers GM Mike Gansey wasted no time making some of the biggest moves in the sport’s history as he was just hired in May of 2026… but he wasn’t finished. He brought in Lebron on a veteran’s minimum salary of 2 years for $8 million just this past week to pair with an already title contending squad. "A top 10 lineup in NBA history right Brandon?” Go see episode 22 of the pod to see this little inside joke.
Before Lebron made his decision, Philadelphia was at +2000 odds according to Vegas to win the NBA championship. Good enough for 6th in the league. The Lebron signing bumped them up to +900 which is now good for 4th favorites. A lot of people think that’s too high, but I think it’s spot on. Look at this stacked 76ers roster: Embiid (Former MVP), Jaylen Brown (Former NBA Finals MVP), VJ Edgecombe (3rd in Rookie of the Year votes), and Tyrese Maxey (2 time NBA All-Star in his short career). What’s not to like? And if you think the Knicks, Celtics and Nuggets have better starting 5s than the 76ers, you’re crazy. The Spurs and Thunder are the only 2 clear better overall teams in my mind.
And even with his age, Lebron isn’t just out there because of his name, he’s still putting up numbers. This past season, he averaged 21 points, 7 assists and 6 rebounds per game. He still puts up respectable defensive stats for his age and a few highlight reels that we’ve become so accustomed to seeing during his career. And again, the guy is 41. He can’t be the central focus of the team or the main ball carrier. Philly is a great place for him to be a starting key role player without all of the pressure (perfect for someone who never wants the last shot).
I’m not willing to put it all on the 76ers this year, but I also wouldn’t be surprised if the ring chasing works and James and the 76ers bring it home.
But what a lot of people are concerned about is his legacy. Why choose Philly? It’s obvious he’s ring chasing. Well no duh! What else are you supposed to do at the age of 41? A lot of people think he should have gone to Cleveland to end his career since that’s where he’s from and where his career started. Bringing home a championship to his hometown would’ve been novelesque. Oh wait, he already did that! Remember when he left Cleveland to Miami to ring chase, did that, then went back to Cleveland and STILL won a title there? What legacy is there to ruin that people are so worried about and why would he feel the need to do it again? Be grateful for what he did for Cleveland in the first place and that he even came back once. Throw in 8 years with the Lakers because the money talked right? What a legacy. But don’t forget, Cleveland was a 1 seed only 2 years ago and came up short in the playoffs. They have a good core with Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley, but at the end of the day, Lebron needed more for a chance at a 5th ring. I thought he would’ve ended his career in LA but here we are, and he’s still putting up all star worthy numbers.
And as much of a fairytale ending Cleveland would’ve been, there were still some other teams people had their money on for Lebron to join. Going back to Miami was in play. But they just depleted their team to land Giannis. And Lebron, Giannis and Bam just wouldn’t have been enough for Lebron to ring chase. At this point in James’ career, he’s looking to facilitate and be surrounded by shooters and defense. Something Miami does not have.
A lot of people also thought Golden State was in play, but the front office couldn’t land Anthony Davis which was rumored to be a big part of the decision. Lebron and Steph would be a good farewell tour, but nothing more than that.
At the end of the day, the Lakers can move on, Lebron found his home (which he will commute by helicopter everyday to), and the 76ers have a chance to break their 43 year championship drought. But only if everyone stays healthy. And that’s a big IF! When Embiid is healthy, there is no denying his talent. But for a guy that is already 32 years old and misses an average of 32 games per season, it’s going to be tough on banking on Philly. So how do you manage expectations? Well if Embiid can play even 50 regular season games and be healthy for the playoffs, that would be a huge success. I expect him to be laid up for multiple games throughout the year as that’s his norm so don’t panic when it does happen. I’m sure there is already a load management schedule in place for him and Lebron together.
But the worst part about this article hasn’t even been talked about yet. Imagine a world where we have New York Knick fans as champions, then the city of Philadelphia gets to celebrate in their true fashion the year after. If all goes well, maybe the city will at least burn down to the ground and do us all a favor. It would be a rough series of champions in back to back years, but would another title be enough for Lebron to retire after just one year in Philly? Let’s debate. There are people that still think he’ll continue to play and still make his way back to Cleveland for a farewell tour. My theory, he’ll play until his toes fall off until he has those same 6 titles that Jordan has. But they won’t come without an asterisk or debate.
