LeBron James' shocking 76ers decision couldn't have worked out better for Spurs

This is going to be a weird sentence to read, but LeBron James has agreed to a two-year, $8 million deal with the Philadelphia 76ers, according to Shams Charania. Seeing Bron playing in Philly is odd. Seeing that it's only for $8 million is strange. But the fact that he's leaving the Western Conference is awesome.

King James didn't have as many suitors as Penelope in The Odyssey during this recent "Decision Saga," but he had enough. Those reportedly interested included the Golden State Warriors, the Denver Nuggets, and the Minnesota Timberwolves. This outcome is infinitely better than any of those would have been.

The Spurs dodged three dangerous LeBron scenarios

Let's start with the Warriors. I don't think it would have been the end of the world if Bron joined forces with Steph Curry. It would have been a pain in the rear to play against them, though. Even with the Spurs smacking teams left and right last season, they lost two straight to Golden State on the back of a couple of stunning performances from the Chef.

If this were 2005, Curry and Bron would be old enough not to matter, but these aren't the old days. Players can play at a high level much longer, and both of these all-timers have shown that. They still have the skill and intelligence to make life difficult for their opponents, so I'd prefer if the Spurs didn't have to deal with that duo.

It would have been even worse in Minnesota. The Timberwolves added LaMelo Ball at the expense of size because they needed someone to take ball-handling pressure off Anthony Edwards. As currently constructed, they're not at the top of the title threat list. Adding James, who is coming off averaging 21 points, 6 rebounds, and 7 assists, could change that.

Ball isn't the best defender, and neither is Bron at his age, but they could have mustered up enough to be decent with Edwards, Jaden McDaniels, and Rudy Gobert around them. You'd never be able to double Edwards with James and LaMelo on the floor. That's another dangerous proposition the Spurs get to avoid.

The Nuggets scenario would have been the worst offensively. Defensively, they'd be Swiss cheese, but a Nikola Jokic/Jamal Murray/LeBron James combination might average 145 points a game. Murray didn't have his best year, so he's due for a bounce-back season.

The Joker is always a menace, and adding another high-IQ player to that group would be a huge boost to their offensive potential. They'd be involved in a lot of shootouts, but that group would often win them.

Fortunately, the Spurs don't have to deal with any of those scenarios. Bron has moved back to the East, further weakening a Western Conference that has already taken a hit with OKC trading away depth and Minnesota losing size. This offseason couldn't be going any better if Christopher Nolan were to direct it. A+ stuff.

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