The Philadelphia 76ers may already have made their biggest splash of the week, but they’re not done chasing stars.
On Thursday, Philadelphia landed All-NBA forward Jaylen Brown from the Boston Celtics in a blockbuster deal that sent Paul George and draft picks the other way. Even after that move, the Sixers are still looking at ways to stack more talent around Brown, Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe and Joel Embiid.
That’s where LeBron James enters the picture.
According to Tony Jones of The Athletic, Philadelphia has interest in signing James, who is set to be on a new team in 2026 after leaving the Los Angeles Lakers. Jones reported, "The Philadelphia 76ers have expressed interest in acquiring free agent forward LeBron James, a league source who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe ongoing deliberations told The Athletic," Jones reported.
James is said to be valuing happiness over maximizing his paycheck in free agency, and that could make him open to taking a major pay cut for one last run at a title.
From a basketball standpoint, the fit makes sense. The Sixers are already in the top tier in the East after adding Brown, but they could still use another frontcourt piece to ease the burden on Embiid. James would check a lot of boxes.
Still, if Philadelphia wants to be more than just another team in the conversation, Tyrese Maxey may be the real hinge point.
Maxey and James have grown close over the last few years, helped along by the fact that both are represented by Rich Paul. Maxey even said after a 2025 game against the Lakers that James was like a big brother to him.
ESPN’s Brian Windhorst pointed to that relationship as the biggest reason Philadelphia has a shot.
"The key factor in any sort of Philadelphia pursuit for Lebron is Tyrese Maxey," Windhorst said on ESPN's NBA Today on Thursday." He's [Maxey is] one of the Clutch's core clients.
He's basically a part of Lebron's extended family. The connection to Philly is Tyrese Maxey."
That matters because Maxey isn’t just a connector - he’s become one of the league’s most dangerous guards. The 25-year-old is coming off a huge 2025 season, when he averaged 28.3 points and 6.6 assists per game while shooting 46.2% from the field and 36.7% from three.
If the Sixers are going to have any real chance at bringing James to Philadelphia, Maxey may need to be the voice that helps sell him on the idea.
There are other teams in the mix. James’ ties to Steph Curry and Draymond Green could point him toward the Golden State Warriors, while a return to the Cleveland Cavaliers or Miami Heat also can’t be dismissed.
But Philadelphia has a compelling pitch: a team built to win, a familiar bond with Maxey, and another connection through Embiid, with the two having shared the court during the Olympics in 2024.
If James is chasing happiness and a title, the Sixers can offer both.
In Other News...
Celtics Already Linked To Another Major Move After Jaylen Brown Trade
Bostons decision to move Jaylen Brown to Philadelphia for Paul George and multiple future draft picks already reshaped the conversation around both teams, but the Celtics may not be done making noise. With a fresh haul of assets in hand, Boston is being linked to another possible swing, and the name getting mentioned is Trey Murphy III, a forward who spent last season with the New Orleans Pelicans and has become one of the more intriguing players on the market.
Murphys appeal is easy to see for a team that just changed its core: he brings size, versatility and the kind of two-way profile that fits almost any contenders wish list. Philadelphia will obviously be watching how Boston uses the rest of its war chest, because if the Celtics do make a run at Murphy, it would be another sign that Browns departure was just the beginning of a much bigger reshaping in the East. [Read more 🡒]
Sixers Just Pulled Off Another Backcourt Coup After Jaylen Brown
After the blockbuster trade for Jaylen Brown, the 76ers kept working the backcourt market and landed another name that had drawn plenty of attention. Guard Anfernee Simons is set to join Philadelphia on a two-year deal worth $12.3 million, adding another scoring option to a roster that has already been reshaped in a busy stretch of moves.
The appeal is easy to see for a team trying to balance star power with usable depth. Simons brings the kind of bench scoring and perimeter shot-making that can change a second units look, and the fact that other teams were in the mix made this another notable win for Philadelphia as it continues to build out the guard rotation. [Read more 🡒]
Why The Sixers Moved Fast On Anfernee Simons After Brown Trade
After the June 1 deal that sent Paul George and multiple draft picks to Boston for Jaylen Brown, the 76ers did not wait long to start reshaping the rest of the roster. The next move came in free agency, when Philadelphia brought in guard Anfernee Simons on a two-year contract with a player option in the second season, a quick add aimed at giving the revamped group another perimeter scorer and some needed backcourt punch.
Simons had other options, but Philadelphia moved decisively to close the deal and keep its momentum going after the Brown trade. From the Sixers side, the appeal was clear: a younger guard who can help with scoring depth right away and fit into a lineup that still needed more production behind its top names. [Read more 🡒]