Adem Bona might barely include his pleasure when he discovered LeBron James would turn out to be his teammate on the Philadelphia 76ers. The younger heart mentioned he and the folks round him erupted in celebration contained in the automobile after discovering that the four-time NBA champion was joining Philadelphia.
“I simply began screaming on the high of my voice within the automobile. We simply began leaping within the automobile, and the automobile began like shifting, bouncing actually,” Bona mentioned.
James agreed to a two-year, minimum-salary contract with Philadelphia on July 26, with a participant possibility for the second season and a 15% commerce kicker. His arrival adopted a serious offseason for the 76ers, who additionally acquired five-time All-Star Jaylen Brown from the Boston Celtics in a blockbuster trade.
Philadelphia despatched Paul George, two 2028 and 2031 first-round picks and two second-round picks to Boston for Brown. The strikes give the 76ers a brand new wing pairing of Brown and James alongside Tyrese Maxey and former MVP Joel Embiid.
Maxey averaged 28.3 factors and 6.6 assists in 70 video games throughout the 2025-26 common season, whereas Embiid averaged 26.9 factors and seven.7 rebounds in 38 appearances. Brown arrived after producing the perfect statistical season of his profession with Boston, additional altering the offensive construction round Philadelphia’s established core.
Bona enters the new-look roster after averaging 4.8 factors, 4.3 rebounds and 1.2 blocks in 17.4 minutes throughout 71 video games throughout his second NBA season. The 23-year-old heart shot 59.5% from the sector and began 18 video games.
His position might turn out to be significantly essential as Philadelphia reshapes its frontcourt round Embiid. Bona offers a distinct bodily profile, along with his 4.3 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per recreation in 2025-26 coming in restricted minutes.
The 76ers completed 45-37 and seventh within the Jap Convention final season earlier than defeating Boston 4-3 in the first round of the playoffs. Their postseason ended within the convention semifinals, the place the New York Knicks swept Philadelphia 4-0.
James now joins a group that has undergone substantial modifications since that playoff run. Philadelphia additionally added Dean Wade, Anfernee Simons, Ariel Hukporti and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope whereas drafting Labaron Philon Jr. with the No. 22 choose.
