In case you missed the news, LeBron James has made his big decision and signed a two-year deal with the Philadelphia 76ers. For a number of reasons, this changes nothing for the Sacramento Kings, as their rebuild journey is taking them on a path the King simply could not walk.
James was never going to join the Kings. He just finished up his 23rd season and wants to play with a team that's a contender right now. With a lineup that includes Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, V.J. Edgecombe, and Jaylen Brown, signing up with Philly was probably the right call.
On the other hand, Sacramento is on a long-term rebuild path that could lead to them being a contender. But that is going to take years, probably many years, to come to fruition. The Kings were never in the mix for the services of one of the greatest players to ever take the court.
More importantly than that, they didn't need to be. What the Kings are planning will start bearing fruit years down the road, long after James has retired. Signing him now, even for the low price of $8 million over two years, would have done nothing to help them on the rebuild path.
For the Kings, the future is the goal
The rebuild Scott Perry has been working on for roughly the last year or so is based on various combinations of youth, size, versatility, and defense. Sacramento's current roster reflects that for the most part, but there are still plenty of moves to be made. That is about growing into the future.
No disrespect meant to the King, but he is not the future of this league. How well he played in his 23rd season was impressive to say the least. James is still playing elite basketball for a man in his forties. There's no doubt that he will contribute to the further success of the 76ers.
That being said, the era of James being the face of the league is over. Victor Wembanyama, Jalen Brunson, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and more have taken over. Given the caliber of talent drafted in the last couple of seasons, there are even more big names heading to the top. Cooper Flagg, anyone?
James on the Kings would have made absolutely no sense for either side. The 76ers give him a real chance of winning another title before he retires, which will be a couple of seasons from now at the most. That's not the kind of player Sacramento can build their future around.
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