The Philadelphia 76ers pulled off a couple of blockbuster additions this offseason with two new All-NBA newcomers in LeBron James and Jaylen Brown. While those came through distinct avenues, they are actually intertwined with each other. After all, Mike Gansey just revealed that the franchise would not have won the vaunted LeBron bidding war had they not been successful in striking a deal for Brown.
Obviously, the move to acquire Brown from the Celtics was definitely the most unprecedented move of the summer. Prior to that trade, the 76ers were not even rumored to be in the running for the 2024 Finals MVP. As it turns out, that exact move ended up being the domino behind James choosing Philly as his next and final landing spot.
Mike Gansey says the 76ers would not have gotten LeBron were it not for the Jaylen Brown blockbuster trade
True enough, the 76ers were kind of in a state of flux before they went on to swap Paul George for Brown. While they were coming off a relatively successful campaign, not a lot of people were really comfortable deeming them an inner-circle contender for the championship in the years to come.
Landing Brown, however, instantly bolstered their prospects as a title hopeful. Even before the LeBron sweepstakes heated up, the 76ers were already reckoned as a strong contender to take away the crown from the Knicks next season. As such, it was not surprising to see Philly end up becoming a finalist and the eventual winner for the megastar's services.
In adding Brown to an already formidable nucleus of Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and VJ Edgecombe, the 76ers only really needed someone who has what it takes to help the team activate all of that talent at once. And there is no better player to do that than LeBron, who is still an elite playmaker whose clutch gene remains untouched.
James wanted one last shot at winning his fifth ring and making history, and there is no better place for him to accomplish that mission than with the 76ers. Aside from the team having a role tailor-made for him, the franchise made too many shrewd moves this summer –– with the Brown trade topping the list –– that it only made sense for him to pick Philly after a lengthy pondering.
This partnership was formed with one goal in mind –– winning a championship. The 76ers are looking to snap a title drought that has been going on for more than four decades, which is just the perfect trek LeBron is looking for as he inches closer to the end of his illustrious career. And for that, they have to feel fortunate for pulling off the Jaylen Brown trade to make this alliance possible.
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