LeBron James may not be the unstoppable force he once was, but he is still making requests worthy of a game-changing superstar. While the latter statement still holds some truth, the Philadelphia 76ers shouldn't be in any rush to cave to his desires and trade for two injury-riddled stars in Anthony Davis or Kyrie Irving. Sanctioning this deal would cost Joel Embiid or Tyrese Maxey -- an idea that would decimate the franchise's championship window.
76ers shouldn't entertain LeBron's damaging request
Philadelphia has opted to indulge James throughout the offseason and add fuel to his free-agent fanfare -- much to their own detriment as potential alternatives slowly dwindle. Acquiring a player of LeBron's caliber, even at the age of 41, would change the 76ers' entire championship landscape. However, his latest request could be too steep a price to pay.
According to Yahoo Sports NBA writer Kevin O'Connor, some around the league believe thatLeBron James is drawing out his free agency decision in order to see if a franchise is willing to make a trade for Anthony Davis or Kyrie Irving. O'Connor adds that his sources tell him that both players don't appear to be on the trading block.
Sources believe LeBron James is slow-playing his decision to see if any of his suitors can find a way to land Anthony Davis or Kyrie Irving. The problem is that AD and Kyrie don't seem available for trade. More on LeBron's choices on @YahooSports: https://t.co/qYVdDqQQ4z
— Kevin O'Connor (@KevinOConnor) July 22, 2026
Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving each possess elite-level talent. Still, question marks should be raised about whether either of the pair brings anything to the Philadelphia roster that it doesn't already have. In fact, the fairest assessment would be to admit that this move would put immense pressure on Nick Nurse to win a championship this season and leave the team with a set of aging and injury-prone players to work with in the future.
Davis and Irving's recent injury troubles are something the 76ers can't afford to accept at this moment, especially given their recent luck with player health. Davis was limited to just 20 appearances last season, and his reputation as an injury-prone player precedes him. In the case of Irving, he has not featured in an NBA game since his devastating ACL tear that he suffered on March 3, 2025.
The last thing that Philadelphia needs is another highly paid asset who can't contribute on the court. Not only would this move be self-destructive, but it would be seriously short-sighted.
Joel Embiid or Tyrese Maxey would be the victims of this trade
Matching Anthony Davis' or Kyrie Irving's salary would only be possible by sending a handsomely paid star in the other direction -- and Jaylen Brown is going nowhere. Brown is a non-negotiable, leaving just Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey on the table as potential bargaining chips.
While Embiid's future may come under scrutiny if he can't lead the 76ers to a championship with this roster, it would take more than an offer of Anthony Davis to send a player of his elite capabilities to an ever-improving Washington Wizards squad. Let's face it, Davis is just as prone to stints on the sidelines, and when healthy, doesn't provide the same level of offensive dominance as Embiid.
Tyrese Maxey is a different entity altogether. His trajectory to superstardom has been nothing short of phenomenal. The 25-year-old is arguably the Sixers' most valuable asset after coming off an incredible career year in which he averaged 28.3 points, 6.6 assists, and 1.9 steals per game, while shooting 36.7% from deep.
Kyrie Irving may be held in high regard throughout the NBA, but to trade a rising star for a veteran coming off the back of a serious injury would be ludicrous. And there is little chance Rich Paul would allow one Klutch Sports client to leave a franchise when another one is close to joining.
It should also be stated that the Philadelphia 76ers have one of the NBA's brightest talents in VJ Edgecombe. Mike Gansey's priority should be to stabilize a championship roster while also recruiting a younger core to partner their sophomore star in the future. Trading away Tyrese Maxey to acquire the veteran Kyrie Irving doesn't match this vision.
And, to be quite frank, Anthony Davis is frighteningly more susceptible to injury than Joel Embiid -- is that really a sensible move for the Sixers? I will let you decide that one.
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