To LeBron, or not to LeBron, that is Philadelphia 76ers FA question?

As the Philadelphia 76ers settle in for postseason, the 2018 free agency is now peering around the corner. Should the Philadelphia 76ers aim at signing LeBron James in free agency?

The Philadelphia 76ers once gained notoriety as the most analytics-advanced NBA organization of its time. Since then, the team has spun away from the analytics side of the street. Instead, the team is opting for the more conventional “optics” of now President Bryan Colangelo.  Some signings have proven to be successful, while others leave room for questioning the move. It’s more style than substance with the third stage of rebuilding.

But the Philadelphia 76ers have ascended into the upper tier of the NBA now. With the NBA Playoffs a certainty and such a young core of contributors, the team will likely only get better as the Ben Simmons, Joel Embiid, Dario Saric, Robert Covington and even Markelle Fultz mature to their basketball prime.

Adding complimentary pieces

Now the roster assembly must take on a new and defining characteristic. Determining team needs, analyzing the draft, and signing free agents must now be considered in terms of what that prospect/player adds to the team, and what the team must forego to place that player on the roster. When you look at what the team has in the pipeline, it’s easier to gauge a shopping list. But until now, it’s been a shopping cart to fill.

When you look at the 50-win 2017-2018 Philadelphia 76ers, the roster is filled with worthy players. With the exception of Jerryd Bayless, and perhaps an upgrade with Amir Johnson, the Philadelphia 76ers have pieces that blend very well.  Each player does something well. and the team has plenty of developing players to count on for the future. Until now, the selling of the Philadelphia 76ers to prospective players was about money and vision. That changes this year.