The Philadelphia 76ers still have a big fish to fry this offseason, but in the face of a LeBron James hypothetical, all else gets washed away to pave way for discourse surrounding the megastar, that’s for sure.
The Quentin Grimes saga may still be subsisting, but that pales in comparison to the silently brewing situation of James and his camp. In one of the more interesting plot twists this summer, the King exercised his player option to return to the Lakers next season, but not without signaling to Los Angeles that he would be closely monitoring how the front office maneuvers this offseason.
Of course, in typical NBA cryptography, everyone interpreted it as LeBron quietly pulling the strings for an eventual trade request and/or exit from the Lakers. There were even reports about him getting blues about his team not valuing what he has done for the franchise, and of course, there is a clear follow-through on that kind of gesturing.
All those, combined with another recent LeBron update, should now have the 76ers determined to make this obvious next move.
LeBron James twist changes the game and the 76ers are on the clock
According to NBA insider Marc Stein (subscription required), the presumption is that the Lakers strongly prefer to simply let James’ contract come off the books upon the conclusion of the 2025-26 campaign, noting that their front office has not yet considered the megastar exiting the franchise as an imminent threat at present.
If true, this definitely forecloses any chance of the Lakers tendering an early extension to the megastar. With James all but set to enter free agency next summer, the 76ers have a non-zero chance to be in the position to snag him, but only if they clear the necessary cap space to even think about going after him.
There are of course some sign-and-trade scenarios to ponder on, but the more straightforward path for the 76ers to be in the running for LeBron is to clear out a mammoth contract. Paul George’s current deal (in tandem with those coming off the books next summer) would be the perfect start to that end, although that escapade would be a huge trek for the front office given the All-Star’s waning value.
Still, the ensuing financial gymnastics to get to the James free agency orbit could be worth it. Philadelphia was previously a prime landing spot for him during the summer of 2018, and while a lot has changed since then, the 76ers still have the talent to compete for championships.