Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
Dec 7, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward Lebron James (23) and Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey react with each other after the game at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
The Philadelphia 76ers and new team president Mike Gansey pulled off the move of the NBA offseason on Wednesday when they stunned the world by acquiring Jaylen Brown from the Boston Celtics.
In exchange, the Sixers sent Paul George, a pair of first-round picks, and a pair of second-round picks back to Boston.
The move not only makes the 76ers a more formidable foe entering the 2026-27 NBA season, but it could also help them in their pursuit to land LeBron James in free agency.
While that may sound a bit crazy, there is actually a lot of evidence mounting toward the idea that James could spend next season in Philadelphia.
LeBron James Has A Ton Of Connections To The Philadelphia 76ers
Shortly after the trade for Brown was announced, Tony Jones of The Athletic reported that the Sixers were one of several teams still pursuing James in free agency.
Philadelphia was one of the seven teams we ranked as most likely to land James even before the Brown trade, and now it makes even more sense.
ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reported that a team would need to turn James’ head with a splashy move in order to secure his signature. Well, what bigger splash could you make than acquiring Brown?
On top of that, James already has deep ties to the Philadelphia 76ers organization.
Didn’t even know this flick existed when I sent the tweet below lol
I have talked to Mike about finishing second behind LeBron for Mr. Basketball in the state of Ohio.
Omg it’s happening lol https://t.co/HeRpLWpq3V pic.twitter.com/4dPXSm01bP
— Jason Dumas (@JDumasReports) July 2, 2026
His relationship with Gansey dates back more than two decades to when the two played high school basketball against one another in Ohio. In fact, Gansey finished as the runner-up to James for Mr. Basketball in the state of Ohio in 2001.
On top of that, James’ agent, Rich Paul, is also the agent for the Philadelphia 76ers’ star Tyrese Maxey. James has made it a point to play alongside fellow Klutch Sports clients in the past. Why not now?
James has also previously expressed his appreciation for Joel Embiid, with whom he teamed to win gold at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.
Ultimately, Philadelphia is just one of several competitors for James’ signature. And it’s still probably not the favorite. But it sounds like the Sixers made a big move up the list by acquiring Brown.