LeBron James’ move to Philadelphia caught some people around the league off guard, even if the Sixers had been on the radar for him for a while.
According to Joe Vardon, Tony Jones, Dan Woike and David Aldridge of The Athletic, several NBA executives expected James to land in Miami, Cleveland or Golden State before he chose the 76ers. One executive put it bluntly after the announcement: “That was like option No. 4,”
Still, the fit in Philadelphia wasn’t some random twist. The Athletic reports that James has long had real interest in the Sixers, and one former Lakers teammate said LeBron told him he seriously considered signing with Philadelphia in free agency in 2018 before heading to Los Angeles.
On the court, the plan is clear enough. James is expected to start at power forward for the 76ers, and his passing and play-making will matter immediately because he’ll be surrounded by scorers. That includes starting point guard Maxey, who can also work off the ball.
Before James made his decision public, there was another path he had been pushing for. Vincent Goodwill of ESPN reported Friday morning that James had been “angling” earlier in free agency for the Cavaliers to get Kyrie Irving, though the Mavericks were not interested in trade talks.
Yossi Gozlan of The Third Apron noted how hard a James Harden-for-Irving sign-and-trade would have been for Cleveland to pull off, and that may not have mattered anyway. A source close to James told The Athletic that the star forward was not waiting for a team to trade for Irving or Anthony Davis.
The Heat, meanwhile, are left to sort through what comes next after missing on James. Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald wrote that “fresh” conversations are expected with veteran forward DeMar DeRozan. Jackson also reported that while Russell Westbrook has been linked to Miami, a coach trusted by Erik Spoelstra advised against signing the former MVP, saying he’s difficult to coach.
Golden State’s attention now shifts to its own business. Nick Friedell of The Athletic reported that the Warriors are expected to focus on re-signing Draymond Green and filling out the rest of the roster. Gary Payton II remains a candidate to return as well.
Minnesota made a push, too, even if the Timberwolves knew they were a long shot. Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic reported that Anthony Edwards and LaMelo Ball got on the phone with LeBron, while president of basketball operations Tim Connelly spent significant time talking with agent Rich Paul about the fit.
Co-owner Alex Rodriguez was also involved in the pitch. Krawczynski also looked at how the Wolves could handle the power forward spot after missing out on James.
ESPN’s Dave McMenamin reported that chasing a fifth championship was the main reason James chose the 76ers. McMenamin also noted that living in New York City and commuting to Philadelphia is a possibility for the 41-year-old. In the same ESPN package, a panel of writers examined James’ role with his new team and how good the Sixers can be.
And as for Bronny James, the latest word is that he is not part of any deal. Rich Paul told Ramona Shelburne of ESPN that LeBron and his son are “not a package deal” and that there are no plans for the Lakers to trade Bronny to Philadelphia.
In Other News...
Timberwolves May Be Backed Into A Risky Bones Hyland Decision
Bones Hylands place on the Timberwolves bench has become one of the more delicate roster questions in Minnesota after a summer that changed the frontcourt and trimmed some of the teams depth. The five-year veteran guard gave the Wolves a useful regular-season spark, but his profile is a little different now, with the team needing to sort out who can reliably soak up second-unit minutes when the rotation tightens.
Minnesota may have to lean on Hyland more than it would prefer, and that is where the risk comes in. His postseason track record has not matched his regular-season production, and the Wolves have to decide whether they can count on him in a larger bench role or whether those playoff inconsistencies will force them to keep a shorter leash once the games matter most. [Read more 🡒]
Timberwolves May Have Found An Uncomfortable Answer At The Four
The Timberwolves still have a real question mark at power forward after missing out on LeBron James, and it is the kind of roster hole that can shape everything else around the edges. Chris Finch does not appear eager to simply slide Jaden McDaniels into that spot, which leaves Minnesota weighing whether the answer comes from internal reshuffling or from a more conventional move later on.
For now, the conversation circles back to Anthony Edwards and the possibility of asking him to shoulder more on the defensive end, even though last season showed how bumpy that can be when his focus drifts off the ball. There is also a reason the idea has any traction at all: Edwards has the frame and athletic tools to make a different kind of impact if the Wolves decide to test his versatility while they wait for a cleaner solution. [Read more 🡒]
Timberwolves Finally Made The Bold Call Fans Kept Fighting Over
For a Timberwolves team that has spent too many spring nights running into the same wall, the appeal of a bigger swing was obvious. Minnesotas roster had enough talent to stay in the mix, but the repeated playoff exits kept pointing to the same issue: too much of the offense still had to be manufactured by Anthony Edwards alone. That is why the front offices decision to chase a true playmaker instead of settling for a safer, familiar path has landed as one of the most debated moves of the offseason.
The case for it is straightforward enough. LaMelo Ball brings the kind of passing and creation Minnesota has lacked, and he offers a second scoring threat who can tilt the floor in ways Julius Randle never quite did for this group. Even with the skepticism that followed the move, the alternative would have been another run at the same formula, or a scramble toward fallback guard options such as Collin Sexton or Anfernee Simons. For a team trying to climb from good to dangerous, that was the real crossroads. [Read more 🡒]