If LeBron James was motivated by money this offseason, the Philadelphia 76ers wouldn’t have a shot at him in the free agency market.
Fortunately, that’s not the case. While James didn’t come out and say he’ll play for the minimum, his camp has continued to make it clear that he’s searching for the right basketball fit.
At the top of the week, The Ringer’s Bill Simmons tossed out that he believes the Cleveland Cavaliers have been trying to figure out how to offer more than minimum money to LeBron, which could’ve been seen as an advantage over the Sixers. However, the player-turned-analyst Kendrick Perkins revealed that Cleveland’s supposed financial plan won’t make a difference.
During an ESPN segment on Tuesday, July 21, Perkins revealed that he had a conversation with James’ agent, Rich Paul, who has been making his media rounds this week. Paul reportedly told Perkins that when it comes to money to offer, all teams are equal this offseason.
“He said, ‘Perk, listen man, this has nothing to do with money.’ The teams that are at the top of his list, they are all going to pay the same dollar amount,” Perkins said. “He is not asking a team to move anybody that’s contradicting to what they standing for. It’s not about the money. It’s about the fit.”
For the Sixers, that’s the best thing they can hear after what Simmons threw out there. Not only is LeBron a strong fit for their starting five, which needs a power forward to start alongside Joel Embiid and Jaylen Brown, but the Sixers only have enough to offer one minimum deal. They’ve been holding that spot open for James this entire time.
LeBron James is second-guessing?
There was one other interesting tidbit from Perkins:
“He’s had his mind made up, and then all of a sudden, he’s changed his mind, and he’s back to the drawing board again.”
Per Perkins’ conversations with Rich Paul, it seems James was set on a team, but clearly, something made him second-guess. At the start of LeBron James’ free agency run in 2026, the Golden State Warriors were seen as the favorites to land him. Then, the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Miami Heat became favorites at one point, as the reunion storylines made sense.
The Sixers have been relevant in the race since they made their blockbuster trade for Jaylen Brown, but they haven’t quite jumped the line to become a favorite in the sportsbooks, prediction markets, or within the media space.
Packing up and going to the East Coast to join a team for the first time at 41 years old seems far-fetched, so the lack of love for Philly in those spaces makes sense. At the same time, the Sixers are certainly built to force somebody in LeBron’s situation to think twice before they go elsewhere. The Sixers are flawed just like everybody else, but the fit just makes so much sense.
If the money doesn’t matter, then it’s difficult to rule out the Sixers until LeBron makes his final decision.
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