Cleveland Cavaliers superstar LeBron James will once again become the most controversial NBA player in the summer of 2018. He’s expected to exercise his player option to become an unrestricted free agent in the upcoming offseason. Multiple signs are pointing out that James will be leaving his hometown team for the second time and chase for another NBA championship title somewhere else. Will “The King” consider teaming up with Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons in the Philadelphia 76ers?
In the past months, LeBron James continues to be part of various NBA rumors regarding his decision in 2018 free agency. Several NBA teams have been linked to the 33-year-old small forward, including the Los Angeles Lakers, Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Clippers, Philadelphia 76ers, and even the Cavaliers’ rival team, Golden State Warriors. As most people think, James will choose a team where he can win it all to give him a higher chance of surpassing Michael Jordan’s record of six NBA championship titles.
According to Bill Simmons of The Ringer , there is a “growing buzz” that “ LeBron-to-Philly ” might happen in the upcoming offseason. Simmons gave four reasons why the Sixers could be James’ next destination.
- They could create enough salary cap space to sign LeBron James, together with another superstar which could potentially be Paul George.
- The presence of promising young stars like Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid will make Philadelphia more appealing to James.
- Ben Simmons and James share the same agent, Klutch Sports.
- NBA insiders have been reportedly gossiping about an increasingly cozy Philly-LeBron’s circle connection since November.
Simmons continued by giving his own complete narrative of the potential “LeBron-to-Philly” scenario.
“In 2018, LeBron James signed with Philadelphia to build one last mini-dynasty with Embiid and Simmons. He vowed to play seven more years, until he turned 40, and vowed to make it his last stop. Just as important, he wanted to be closer to New York City and to his goal of becoming the first active billionaire athlete, with an eye on building his business empire and eventually owning an NBA franchise.”
If the Sixers manage to acquire both James and George this summer, there is no doubt that the Sixers will immediately rise as the best team in the Eastern Conference. The starting lineup consisting of James, George, Simmons, and Embiid will undeniably be a huge headache on both ends of the floor, and it can definitely compete against the Warriors’ “Super Death Lineup.”
This could be one of the major reasons why 31 percent of the NBA players who responded to ESPN ‘s poll question “What rumored team should LeBron NOT sign with?” is against the “LeBron-to-Philly” scenario. As of now, no one can accurately predict where James will play next, but expect rumors to circulate until he makes an official decision regarding his impending free agency.
