The Philadelphia 76ers have emerged as a legitimate potential landing spot for superstar free agent LeBron James over the last couple of weeks.
Following the blockbuster trade with the Boston Celtics for Jaylen Brown, the 76ers immediately turned their attention to James. In fact, president of basketball operations Mike Gansey recently spoke out and dropped a hint at the team’s interest in James.
“I have known LeBron for a long time. I have a ton of respect for him,” Gansey said. “Obviously, I think he would be a great fit for our group, and of course, would love to have him.”
He continued on, making it clear that Philadelphia is keeping a roster spot open for James.
“We have an open roster spot. We are looking at ways we can get better. Obviously, we are holding that roster spot right now for someone,” Gansey said.
Philadelphia 76ers’ Chances of Signing LeBron James Take Another Hit
Despite the team’s interest in signing James, the odds are shifting away from the 76ers.
According to the latest odds from Polymarket about James’ next team, Philadelphia comes in behind the Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat, and Golden State Warriors. The 76ers are only being given a six percent chance of landing James.
As for the other teams considered to be the front-runners, the Cavaliers have the best chance to sign James at 63 percent. The Heat come in second at 17 percent with the Warriors in third at 14 percent.
Cleveland has always made the most sense for James. He is entering the final chapter of his NBA career. Heading home to finish things where they started would be an epic ending.
However, James has yet to make a decision and teams are holding out hope.
What Signing LeBron James Would Mean for 76ers
On paper, Philadelphia is already an NBA Finals contender. Adding James to the roster would simply enhance those chances.
Currently, the 76ers have put together a stacked roster. They are projected to have Tyrese Maxey at point guard, VJ Edgecombe at shooting guard, Jaylen Brown at small forward, Dean Wade at power forward, and Joel Embiid at center.
James would likely slot in at the four in place of Wade.
That being said, James playing power forward has not gone well in the past. Whether or not he would have major interest in that role or not remains to be seen.
Expect to hear more news about James in the near future. He is in no rush to make his decision, but a decision is coming nonetheless. For now, the 76ers remain a contender to sign James but their chances continue dropping.
Like HEAVY’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
The post 76ers’ Chances of Signing LeBron James Have Taken a New Hit appeared first on HEAVY.