The Philadelphia 76ers are entering the race for LeBron James.
After reportedly agreeing to acquire Jaylen Brown in a trade from the Boston Celtics earlier Wednesday, Philadelphia has shown interest in signing James as a free agent, sources told Tony Jones of The Athletic.
Several teams are believed to be courting the NBA's all-time leading scorer, who informed the Los Angeles Lakers that he would continue his career elsewhere in 2026-27. The 41-year-old James has reportedly heard from the Minnesota Timberwolves and Denver Nuggets, and he's also apparently being considered by the Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers.
The 76ers could slide James into a theoretical starting five with Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, Brown, and star center Joel Embiid. While Paul George is reportedly on his way to Boston in exchange for Brown, Nick Nurse's squad bolstered its depth with reported signings of German center Ariel Hukporti, a member of the New York Knicks' championship roster, as well as former Cleveland Cavaliers forward Dean Wade.
James would boost Philadelphia's chances of winning big in the short term with Brown under contract for another three seasons. The franchise could also use his vast postseason experience; the 76ers last made the conference finals in 2001, while James - whose NBA debut was in 2003 - has reached that stage 12 times throughout his career.
James is entering his record-extending 24th NBA season but was still highly impactful for the Lakers this past season. The 22-time All-Star and four-time NBA champion posted 20.9 points, 7.2 assists, 6.1 rebounds, and 1.2 steals in 60 starts after missing the first month with a sciatica issue.
