When the Philadelphia 76ers signed LeBron James this summer, they signed up for two years of scrutiny. Two years of every eye in the NBA world being focused on them. And as has been the case with James-led teams for years, they signed up for the brutal task of having to build a contender. Because if this exact group doesn’t work perfectly, changes will have to be made.
In a perfect world, everything works out immediately. James, Jaylen Brown, Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid, and VJ Edgecombe could fit perfectly together. But if they don’t, well, then the Sixers may have to find a way to change the roster. And honestly, they could end up changing more than just the roster in their pursuit of helping James win.
So, what if that perfect world I mentioned doesn’t come true? What if they struggle to mesh? Well, here are three decisions the Sixers may have to make if the worst-case scenario comes true.
3 Worst-case scenario decisions the LeBron James 76ers could face
1. VJ Edgecombe trade offers
It doesn’t feel like Edgecombe is going anywhere anytime soon. He just wrapped up an impressive rookie campaign, and he should be a big part of the Sixers’ next step, too.
But again, what if this team doesn’t work out? Well, trading Edgecombe could be the Sixers’ best pathway toward getting better around James and the rest of the team.
Teams around the league would undoubtedly be chomping at the bit to trade for Edgecombe, especially if they were in a rebuild. He could be a face of a franchise one day.
2. Nick Nurse firing
When James joins a team, the coach is always under extreme watch. Because when James joins a team, that means that team immediately has championship expectations.
Nick Nurse seems like a good option to sort out the personalities in Philly. He should be able to handle things. But if the Sixers struggle to win games, people will look at Nurse first.
Let’s say the Sixers are disappointing by the All-Star break. Well, Nurse could be the first guy on the chopping block in Philadelphia.
3. A big-swing trade
Let’s lump them all together. Maxey. Brown. Embiid. What if there is a world in which any of those guys ends up being thrown onto the trade block?
The Sixers would have a lot of trouble shipping out Embiid on the trade block, and they almost certainly wouldn’t move Maxey. So, Brown?
If things get bad to the point where the Sixers want to really shake things up, perhaps he could end up back on the trade block all over again.
Add us as a preferred source on Google