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Los Angeles Lakers: LeBron James’ 2018 Moment With East Contender Resurfaces Amid NBA Free Agency Rumors

Originally posted on Hardwood Heroics | By Rex Villas | Last updated 5/24/24

There is a guessing game going on with regard to what Los Angeles Lakers superstar forward LeBron James would make in the offseason. The black and white of it is that it will either be just the four-time Most Valuable Player staying or leaving the Lakers. He has a player option to decide on soon, so it’s inevitable for people to speculate which direction he’d take, as he looks to continue this legendary basketball career.

In the event that James opts out, one Eastern Conference team that is perhaps worth monitoring is the Philadelphia 76ers.

Will the Sixers be in Play for LeBron James if He Opts Out of Final Year With the Los Angeles Lakers?

The 76ers are rumored to be in the hunt for another star to play alongside Joel Embiid and the rapidly ascending Tyrese Maxey. Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports believes that James could be a target in the offseason by the Philadelphia. For one, the two sides had been in the same room before when James was looking for his next team following his second stint with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The list of available players who can complete this formula for Philadelphia, though, is quite short. LeBron James can enter the open market if he declines his 2024-25 player option, and the Sixers did secure a meeting with James in 2018, before the all-time great joined the Lakers in free agency. And yet, there’s been no indication from league personnel with knowledge of the situation that James will truly entertain fleeing Los Angeles. Concerns about Embiid’s availability to both play and play at full strength in the postseason will also be a factor multiple player agents told Yahoo Sports they would advise clients to consider before signing with Philadelphia.

The Sixers have never gone past the second round of the playoffs in the Joel Embiid era. They have reached the second round of the playoffs in five of the last seven seasons. James is on the twilight of his NBA career but he just showed in the 2023-24 campaign that there’s still plenty of gas left in the tank. If he goes to the Sixers, he should be able to bring a lot to the table. But again, the possibility of James going to the City of Brotherly Love is a big what-if.

This article first appeared on Hardwood Heroics and was syndicated with permission.

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