The Philadelphia 76ers didn’t just land LeBron James. They unlocked him.
That’s the picture Mike Ganzi painted during an appearance on NBC Sports Philadelphia while the Phillies were playing the Washington Nationals. The 76ers president said the path to bringing in the four-time champion opened up only after Philadelphia pulled off the Jaylen Brown deal.
“I called Rich right away and said, ‘Hey, like, we got Jaylen. Is there a chance LeBron will want to come to us?’
And, you know, obviously they said, ‘Yeah, this changes some things.’ So they talked about it, and then obviously the whole process of, whatever, three weeks or however long it went, they were doing all their due diligence with LeBron, talking to all our players and other teams, and their representation and stuff.”
“So, yeah, it was a long process. But yeah, we don’t get LeBron without Jaylen, that’s for sure.”
That call to Rich Paul is the clearest window yet into how the Sixers turned one major move into another. Before Brown arrived, Philadelphia was not considered a real threat to pull LeBron in.
Sure, the team would have had interest in adding the NBA’s all-time leading scorer. But the idea of LeBron choosing the Sixers was a long shot.
Then July 6th happened. Brown joined the roster, and suddenly the Sixers looked very different. Pairing another All-NBA-caliber wing with Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey instantly gave Philadelphia one of the league’s most loaded groups, and it got the attention of LeBron’s camp.
From there, the process dragged on for nearly three weeks. Ganzi said both sides went through the usual heavy lifting, with LeBron’s representation speaking to the front office, players, other teams, and more before everything came together.
When it did, LeBron agreed to a two-year, $8 million contract with Philadelphia, a deal that stands out even by his standards. He has never taken a minimum-type contract because of slipping production, and that’s not the case here. Even as he enters his 24th NBA season, he’s still putting up real numbers, averaging 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 7.2 assists last season.
So the message is pretty clear: this wasn’t about a fading star chasing a final paycheck. It was about chasing a ring.
With Embiid, Brown, and Maxey already in place, the Sixers suddenly had the kind of top-end talent that could make LeBron see a real title path. The signing came 24 days after the offseason began, and it finished off one of the wildest free agency stories in recent NBA memory.
Now Philadelphia’s projected starting five features LeBron James, Joel Embiid, Jaylen Brown, Tyrese Maxey, and V.J. Edgecombe.
On paper, that’s the most stacked starting lineup in the league. Of course, talent alone doesn’t solve everything.
The bench still needs work, health is always part of the conversation, and there’s plenty to sort out when so many high-usage players are sharing the floor.
Rich Paul has already suggested LeBron is expected to take on a Draymond Green-type role, serving as the team’s primary playmaker while helping bring out the best in Embiid, Brown, and Maxey.
But the bigger takeaway is what Ganzi made unmistakable: Brown was the spark. The trade didn’t just improve the Sixers. It changed LeBron’s view of Philadelphia and helped turn the team into a destination.
In Other News...
Joel Embiid Update Gives 76ers Fans Real Reason For Hope
Joel Embiids summer has apparently gone about as well as the 76ers could have hoped, with Nick Nurse saying the big man is in shape, active and feeling much better as he gets back on the floor and into the weight room. After a season in which Embiid still produced at a high level, averaging 26.9 points and 7.7 rebounds, Philadelphias bigger concern was never the production. It was the availability, as he appeared in only 38 regular-season games.
Nurses update matters because the Sixers do not need a reminder of how different the team looks when Embiid is healthy and moving well. For now, the early read on the offseason is encouraging, and that alone gives the organization some badly needed optimism heading toward the new season. The real test, of course, will come once the games start and the grind begins to look a lot more like the one that has challenged Embiid in recent years. [Read more 🡒]
Grant Williams Just Eased A Big 76ers Fear About Jaylen Brown
Grant Williams helped calm one of the lingering concerns around Jaylen Brown this week, offering a firsthand view of what Brown and Jayson Tatum were like during their time together in Boston. Williams, who shared the Celtics locker room with both players from 2019 to 2023 before he was traded to the Mavericks, said their relationship was respectful and positive on and off the court, a detail that matters because Brown has long been viewed through the lens of how he might fit with Philadelphia if the 76ers ever circle back.
For the Sixers, the bigger issue has never just been Browns talent. Its whether the personality and basketball fit would hold up in a new setting, especially with the rumors that have followed him because of his ties to Tatum and the Celtics recent years of title-chasing. Williams comments do not answer every question about a potential move, but they do take some of the edge off the concern that Browns dynamic with a star teammate would be a problem in Philadelphia. [Read more 🡒]
Jaylen Brown Just Made Sixers-Celtics Feel Even More Personal
Jaylen Browns arrival in Philadelphia already gave the Sixers-Celtics rivalry a sharper edge, and his introductory press conference only added to the intrigue. Brown spoke respectfully about Jayson Tatum, the teammate with whom he won a championship in Boston, while making clear the two have not communicated since the trade that sent him to the 76ers.
For a team trying to reset itself around a star-studded starting lineup, Brown brings both production and baggage in the best possible way. He comes off a season in which he averaged 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds and 5.1 assists, and now his move to Philadelphia gives the Sixers another marquee name as they chase a major turnaround next season. [Read more 🡒]