headtopics
LeBron James' Chances with the Sixers Remain Real The Philadelphia 76ers are still an attractive destination for LeBron James as he considers his next team.
The Sixers' chances at competing in the East are real, and it appears that James' interest in Philly is real.
We look at the reasons they are still an attractive destination for James.as teams continue to court him deep into the summer.
The other options are the Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat, according to ESPNs Shams Charania.
Meanwhile, ESPNs Brian Windhorst, who has deep Ohio ties, said the pendulum appears to be swinging toward the Cavaliers, but the Sixers and several other NBA franchises are not counting themselves out.
How do the Sixers stack up as a LeBron James destination? Breaking down his reported top 3 contenders.So youre telling the Sixers theres still a chance? Theyve been here before, vying for James services most recently in 2018 as he considered teaming up with a youngIt could be a while before we learn James final decision, but here are five things that make the Sixers attractive to the 41-year old.
James has done all there is to accomplish in basketball.
He has four NBA titles, 10 Finals appearances and he owned the Eastern Conference for a decade.And theres even lore surrounding those titles, as he brought one championship to his home state and resurrected franchises in Miami and Los Angeles.
He holds the NBAs all-time record for scoring, minutes played, games played, and more.
All-time greats in sports are constantly looking for new challenges, and James is running out of options.
So if hes looking for a place to retire, the Cavaliers hold the sentimental edge and Florida is the retirement capital of the country.But only the Sixers offer new territory.
Prior to the Brown trade, folks in Philly saw James departure from the Lakers on the news ticker and kept moving along.
The addition of Brown created a potential starting lineup of Maxey, Edgecombe, Brown and Embiid.
And while Dean Wade was a great free-agency addition, James could look at that lineup and slot himself in at power forward and see a real title contender.Thats the moment everything changed for the Sixers chances of landing James, according to James agent and Klutch Sports owner Rich Paul.
The Eastern Conference has also presented a level of parity that could benefit the Sixers.
While the East has won two of the last three titles, no team has made a repeat Finals appearance since James Cavaliers made it four straight times.Browns Celtics made the Finals in 2022 and won in 2024 and he knows how to get back.
Famously, the Sixers havent made it past the second round since 2001, but its a notch in their belt to have someone who understands that process.
Maxeys rise continues.
Originally selected with the 21st pick out of Kentucky in 2020, Maxey had to wait his turn for the Sixers.He played behind Simmons and competed with Shake Milton for minutes.
But once given a full-time role, Maxeys star took off.
He became a starter, then an All-Star and then an All-NBA performer.
Now, Maxey is one of the pillars of the Sixers pitch to James after averaging 28.3 points, 4.1 rebounds and 6.6 assists and leading the Sixers to the postseason.Brad Stevens says he would rather have not traded Jaylen Brown to Philly, but the Celtics did what they had to do Theres also the personality piece, because Maxeys infectious persona and work ethic have been lauded by everyone in the Sixers organization.
And, of course, as Klutch Sports clients with deep ties to Paul, James is familiar with both sides of Maxey.
And Paul has repeatedly said that James loves Maxey.That it took this long to get to Embiid should say something about the state of things.
Embiid played only 38 games last season and called that a success because he learned more about managing his knee that could benefit the Sixers going forward.
Of course, it was to some extent because he played only 19 games the year before because of knee surgery.And when available, Embiid was exceptional in 2025-26, including a stretch where he looked like his old MVP self.
He averaged 26.9 points on 48.9% shooting, 7.7 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 1.2 blocks in 38 games.Then when he appeared primed for a healthy postseason, Embiid was diagnosed with appendicitis and missed multiple games in the Sixers first-round series against the Boston Celtics.
But then he showed flashes once again, powering the Sixers to a series win after they went down three games to one.
He averaged 28 points, 9 rebounds and 7 assists in four games and the Sixers were 3-1 in games he played.And then he was too drained as the Sixers were swept by the eventual-champion New York Knicks.
The highs and lows with Embiid are stark, but the highs are great enough that even a player like James could hold out hope.
Previous iterations of the Sixers tried to land James, but they werent always taken serious.They had talent with Simmons and Embiid in 2018, but werent stout up top as Brett Brown served as interim president of basketball operations and head coach.
Former president of basketball operations, Bob Myers and Jameer Nelson are at the helm and appear to be building a team that will compete in the Eastern Conference.Moves to bring Brown, Wade, Ariel Hukporti, Anfernee Simons and rookie Labaron Philon Jr., have started to add balance to the Sixers roster and is a good sign for the forthcoming Sixers season.
And theres still a chance one big name could be added to the bunch.
I serve as a senior editor on the Sports staff, covering the 76ers and NBA at large.
I edit, write, and film everything Philly basketball.Before joining The Inquirer, I made stops at the Chicago Tribune and Sports Illustrated.