The Philadelphia 76ers are officially entering the race for LeBron James one day after completing a blockbuster trade to acquire Jaylen Brown from the Boston Celtics. Philadelphia is now trying to convince James to continue his career in Philadelphia alongside Brown and reigning MVP Joel Embiid.
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, the 76ers have become the latest team to pursue the four-time NBA champion as he weighs the next destination for his historic career.
“One day after shockingly trading superstar Jaylen Brown, the Philadelphia 76ers have added unrestricted free agent LeBron James to the roster and are trying to bring him in,” league sources told ESPN’s Shams Charania.
Philadelphia’s aggressive offseason continued Wednesday as the organization agreed to send veteran forward Paul George, along with two first-round picks and two second-round picks to the Celtics in exchange for Brown.
Brown arrived in Philadelphia after one of the best seasons of his career. The 29-year-old averaged 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds and 5.1 assists in 71 games and finished sixth in MVP voting.
The 76ers also reached a free-agent deal with guard Anfernee Simons, further bolstering a roster that appears designed to lure James.
“The addition of Brown, along with the free-agent deal reached Thursday morning with shooting guard Anfernee Simons, is a roster upgrade that could help lure James, who has made it clear he wants happiness but also a legitimate chance to win at the highest level with his next team,” ESPN’s Anthony Slater said.
Philadelphia joins a growing list of contenders chasing James. The Golden State Warriors, Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat remain involved and the 41-year-old is evaluating his options.
“Meanwhile, James has indicated to the Warriors that they are still on his short list, but team sources recently said they are not necessarily at the top of his list as James continues to investigate the situation,” Slater reported.
Financially, the 76ers face their toughest challenge. Philadelphia can currently only offer veteran-minimum contracts worth about $3.9 million, while other contenders continue to explore ways to create additional cap space.
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