The Philadelphia 76ers just dropped the hammer on the NBA offseason. They traded for Jaylen Brown in a deal nobody really saw coming, sending Paul George and a bunch of draft picks to Boston. Now they’re reportedly eyeing LeBron James in free agency. Yes, that LeBron James.
Tony Jones of The Athletic reported that the Sixers have expressed interest in signing the four-time champion, citing a league source who spoke on condition of anonymity. James announced he won’t return to the Lakers, so he’s officially on the market. Philly joins the Cavaliers and Warriors as teams that could make a run at him.
How LeBron fits with Embiid and Brown
Nobody thought the Sixers would land Brown either, until they did. So maybe they pull off another stunner here. James would slot into the frontcourt alongside Joel Embiid and Brown, using his basketball IQ to affect the game without dominating the ball. He could be a screening partner for Tyrese Maxey and give Philly real size on the frontline.
There’s an argument that adding James makes the Sixers the Eastern Conference favorites. But a lot has to happen first. How much money does LeBron want? Does he already have a preferred destination in mind? The team hasn’t confirmed anything publicly, but the interest is real.
Philly is all-in this offseason
The Brown trade already signaled that the Sixers are pushing their chips to the center of the table. Pairing him with Maxey, rookie VJ Edgecombe and Embiid creates a star-studded lineup. Adding LeBron would take that to another level entirely.
(It’s worth noting that James is 40 years old now. But he’s still averaging 25 points a game and playing at an All-Star level. Age doesn’t seem to slow him down much.)
The Sixers have cap flexibility and some assets left over from the Brown deal. Whether they can actually make the numbers work for a LeBron signing is the big question. But after what they just pulled off with the Celtics, nobody in the league is counting them out.
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