The Philadelphia 76ers may not have to wait much longer to learn where they stand in the LeBron James chase.
On Monday, July 13, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that Rich Paul had already heard pitches from every team and passed that information along to the 41-year-old star forward. That has pushed the sweepstakes into the final stretch, and the next few days could tell the Sixers everything they need to know.
One date stands out: July 16.
That’s when James is scheduled to tape a live episode of his podcast, “Mind The Game,” with Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton at Fanatics Fest 2026. A May 21 NBA.com report said James would “likely” use that appearance to discuss free agency, the state of the NBA, and his own future. At the time, the picture around James was murkier than it is now.
Back then, after his season-ending loss with the Los Angeles Lakers, the expectation was that he would either retire or return to the Lakers for another season. A move to the Cleveland Cavaliers was considered, but not viewed as likely.
Now the landscape looks very different. By July 14, James had informed the Lakers that he’s out, the Cavaliers were firmly in the mix, and the Sixers were among at least five teams receiving serious consideration.
If there’s no decision before then, Thursday could be the day.
For Philadelphia, the best approach is the one Joel Embiid always preaches: don’t get too high, don’t get too low.
Yes, the idea of adding one of the greatest players the sport has ever seen is tempting, especially after James put up 20.9 points, 7.2 assists, and 6.1 rebounds and made the All-Star team in 2025-2026. But the Sixers already have a strong base even if James doesn’t end up in their starting five at power forward.
They’ve already made their major swing, landing the MVP-caliber Jaylen Brown in a stunning trade. Anything else is gravy. And if James chooses another path, Philadelphia would still have a roster spot available to bring in another veteran on a minimum deal.
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Sixers Let Another Needed Wing Slip Away In Free Agency
The market for wings keeps moving, and one more name Philadelphia had a chance to consider is off the board. Ziaire Williams, a 24-year-old former lottery pick who spent last season with Brooklyn, has found a new home, leaving the Sixers to keep sorting through a free-agent class that has not exactly been overflowing with young, athletic help on the perimeter.
For a team trying to round out its roster around Nick Nurses pace and spacing preferences, Williams made sense as the kind of long, versatile option that can soak up minutes and give a bench some juice. He also fit the profile of the wing depth Philadelphia has been trying to replace since Kelly Oubre Jr. moved on, which is why passing on him now reads like another small but meaningful miss in a summer full of them. [Read more 🡒]
Draymond Green Just Sent Sixers Fans A Message They Needed
Draymond Green weighed in on a familiar kind of NBA conversation this week, one that tends to follow star duos whenever the cameras are off and the speculation starts. His point was simple enough: players can live very different personal lives and still coexist just fine on the court, and a lack of constant off-court closeness does not automatically mean there is real animosity.
For Philadelphia fans, the message lands in a place they know well. Green pointed to the Joel Embiid-Ben Simmons era as an example of how relationship talk can become its own storyline in this city, even when the on-court picture is more complicated than the noise around it. He also used his own long-running relationship with Steph Curry to make the case that some partnerships do not need daily summer contact to work, which leaves the bigger question less about friendship and more about how all the pieces fit once the games start. [Read more 🡒]
Hawks Suddenly Pulled Into A Joel Embiid Debate They Cannot Ignore
The Joel Embiid conversation has a way of forcing everyone to think in extremes, and a speculative trade pitch aimed at Atlanta is no exception. Philadelphias dilemma is familiar by now: the centerpiece is still one of the leagues most dominant players when healthy, but the cost of waiting on health has become harder to ignore as the years and salary climb.
Atlanta, meanwhile, would have to decide whether a swing that big is worth reshaping the roster around a veteran star with real injury questions attached. The appeal is obvious on paper, but so is the risk, which is why this kind of proposal lands less as a simple rumor and more as a referendum on how both franchises view their timelines. [Read more 🡒]