The Philadelphia 76ers enter the 2026-27 NBA season with expectations that are going to be sky-high, and for good reason. They already made a major swing this offseason by landing former Celtics star Jaylen Brown in a blockbuster trade, a move that reshaped the outlook around the roster.
Even with that kind of headline addition, there’s still a clear reason people aren’t fully ready to stamp the Sixers as title favorites just yet: the depth behind their new core four looks thin. That’s why the front office is still chasing LeBron James, a pursuit that could change everything in one shot.
Philadelphia is still very much in the mix for the superstar. Multiple reports have the Sixers among the three most likely destinations for James, with Cleveland and Miami viewed as the only teams ahead of them in the race. If that happens, a starting five of Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, Brown, and James would suddenly be on the table.
And that’s where the fit gets obvious. The Sixers need more playmaking, and they need more high-end production at forward. Brown is a wing, and Maxey has improved as a creator, but he still isn’t a pure floor general.
James would cover both of those gaps and then some. Even if he’s in what could be the final year of his career, he still brings elite playmaking and the kind of ability to take over on either end when the moment demands it. He raises the floor and the ceiling at the same time.
Put him at the nominal point guard spot, and Philadelphia suddenly has something close to a cheat code. He would give the team a new layer offensively, and he’d also provide the kind of closer they’ve lacked for years, especially when the games tighten in the playoffs.
The Sixers are trying to end a title drought that has stretched for more than four decades. If James ends up in Philadelphia, that streak could finally be on the verge of ending.
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76ers LeBron Pursuit Just Took A Turn Fans Never Saw Coming
LeBron James next move is being handled in a way the NBA rarely sees, with his free agency routed entirely through Rich Paul rather than the usual round of face-to-face meetings and team presentations. In that setting, the 76ers have emerged as one of the main names in the conversation, alongside Cleveland and Miami, which gives Philadelphia a real seat at a table usually reserved for the leagues most familiar power brokers.
What makes this latest twist stand out is the public nature of the push from inside the Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment orbit, a move that feels far outside the normal playbook for a player of James stature. The unusual setup only adds to the intrigue around where the sweepstakes is headed, and it leaves Philadelphia fans watching closely to see whether all that noise can turn into something more concrete. [Read more 🡒]
Sixers Just Got An Intriguing First Look At Labaron Philon
Labaron Philon Jr. got his first summer league run with the Sixers, and the early impression was the kind of clean, useful outing that tends to get coaches attention. He looked comfortable handling the ball, found his spots on offense and showed enough shooting touch to keep the floor spaced, all while bringing the kind of defensive energy Philadelphia wants to see from a young guard trying to carve out a role.
What stood out most was how settled he looked for a player making his debut in that setting. Philon played with poise, changed speeds well and kept the offense moving without looking rushed, which is a promising sign as training camp approaches. The bigger question now is whether that first look was a glimpse of something more than a solid summer league showing, because the Sixers could use another guard who can steady things when the competition tightens. [Read more 🡒]
These 3 Sixers Could Change How Fans View Summer League
The 76ers open Summer League against the Pistons with a roster that gives this stretch a little more intrigue than the usual July runout. Labaron Philon Jr., Philadelphias 2026 first-round pick, is one of the names to follow, and hell be joined by Johni Broome, who is back for a second Summer League look, and Duke Miles, an undrafted guard the team brought in on an Exhibit 10 deal. For a club trying to sort out young talent and identify who can handle the next level, this week is as much about evaluation as it is about results.
Philon brings the kind of draft pedigree that naturally draws attention, while Broome and Miles arrive with different kinds of pressure attached. Broome is trying to show he belongs in a more extended role after a rookie season interrupted by injury, and Miles has the chance to turn a camp opportunity into something more lasting. Summer League can be noisy and uneven, but for these three, the games in front of them could shape how the Sixers and their fans start thinking about the summer. [Read more 🡒]