Lebron James-Philadelphia 76ers trade — unlikely but not impossible

With rumors of LeBron James‘ displeasure at the Cleveland Cavaliers offseason so far and his supreme power to determine his own destiny, could Bron to the Philadelphia 76ers be a thing?

These reports are not all that new, but are gaining more attention now that draft and free agency is over and NBA news is slowing down. LeBron has had to carry a very heavy burden in Cleveland despite having two other stars on the team. The Team in Cleveland is rapidly aging and is due to fall apart soon. He has a no trade clause, so this would have to be directed by him.

The Philadelphia 76ers are a team on the rise who have a trove of assets to offer in trade as well as cap space to absorb his salary.

On the floor, he would fit in well with Ben Simmons as two unselfish wings who can do it all. Philadelphia would give him the elite rim protector that hes never had to take some burden off of him on defense. So while far fetched, its not as improbable as it may seem at first blush.

Well, I do like to do math…

Plus this…

Equals time for wild speculation!

But seriously. This is still what I would call very unlikely but it is not impossible. LeBron has a house in L.A. and his family is known to be tired of living in Cleveland. There are many idyllic destinations where Lebron could choose to go and compete for a championship. Philadelphia on the surface would not seem to be one of those places.

But if you think about the pieces and assets that would surround him, there may not be a better place in the entire NBA for him to spend his last 5 years.

The Candidates

Miami Heat

• Pros — Great lifestyle, good history with the organization and fanbase. Eastern Conference path to Finals is easier.
• Cons — Really don’t have assets to acquire him via trade without gutting their team.

Los Angeles Clippers

• Pros — House in LA, elite rim defender.
• Cons — Dubious fit with Blake Griffin, No cap space. Western Conference path to Finals is tougher.

Los Angeles Lakers

• Pros — House in LA, Showtime vibe
• Cons — Lack of a rim protector, Western Conference

Portland Trail Blazers

• Pros – West Coast, rabid fans, good backcourt
• Cons – Small Market, salary cap nightmare in luxury tax

Philadelphia 76ers

• Pros — Young team with huge upside, Eastern Conference’s easy path to NBA Finals, salary space, future draft assets, big market.
• Cons — Similar weather to Cleveland, young team.

Must Read: Sixers trending with the rise and fall of the Eastern Conference

So what would it take?

Here would be my trade scenario

This gets a little tricky because scenario one could not be executed until Oct. 1, which is very close to the start of the season.

Philadelphia 76ers receive 

1. LeBron James – Salary $33,285,709

Cleveland Cavaliers receive 

1. Jerryd Bayless – Salary $9,000,000
2. Jahlil Okafor – Salary $4,995,120
3. Justin Anderson – Salary $1,579,440
4. Amir Johnson – Salary $11,000,000
5. 2018 Philadelphia first round pick 
6. 2019 Philadelphia first round pick (lottery protected)

Why Cleveland does this:

LeBron James does what he wants. If LeBron wants out bad enough, the Cavs will be forced to look to recover some manner of assets in return. This return is nowhere near fair value for perhaps the greatest player of all time, but considering how little Indiana received in return for Paul George in a similar situation then you have to consider that the return will not be fair.

Cleveland would receive two young players, two veteran role players on expiring contracts and two future first round picks. Not nearly enough for James, but far more than Indiana received for Paul George.

Perhaps an overlooked reason is that the resulting luxury tax bill would be reduced by roughly $15 million with this move. Long term however this will include an expiring contract in Amir Johnson’s $11 million which will get Cleveland well under the salary cap for next summer.

Related Story: Ben Simmons working out with LeBron is promising

Why Philadelphia does this:

This one is self explanatory. This move solves a multitude of roster space issues as well as vaulting the team right into title contention.

What would the Philadelphia 76ers rotation look like?

Conclusion

So this is written well within the realm of the improbable but it makes a fair amount of logical sense for those involved. If Lebron truly wants out and does not want to wait until next summer to be a free agent he could waive his no trade clause and allow Cleveland to get some level of return.

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Joining the Philadelphia 76ers would mean banking on youth developing quickly around him but there is a buzz around the team and he would immediately make them title contenders.