The Philadelphia 76ers have had a very busy 2026 NBA offseason thus far. Not only has it been busy, but it has been very successful for the franchise.
Recently, the headline move of the 76ers’ offseason was made. They were able to pull off a blockbuster trade with the rival Boston Celtics to acquire star wing Jaylen Brown. In exchange, Philadelphia gave up Paul George, two first-round picks, and two second-round picks.
Being able to acquire a player of Brown’s caliber for such a low price was a huge win for the 76ers. They are now viewed as one of the top NBA Finals contenders in the Eastern Conference.
Shortly after the trade was made, reports started coming out that Philadelphia was looking to make another splash. The 76ers have entered themselves into the LeBron James sweepstakes and have been viewed as one of the teams who could actually sign him.
With that being said, some bad news has surfaced about Philadelphia’s chances of actually landing James.
76ers Receive Bad News About Potentially Signing LeBron James
ESPN NBA insider Brian Windhorst made an appearance on “Pardon My Take” on July 6. He revealed an update about the 76ers’ confidence in signing James.
Unfortunately, it sounds like the NBA is widely expecting James to return to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
“I’ve talked to people in Philly, and I’m like what do you think? ‘We’re afraid it’s Cleveland,’ – everybody I talked to is like ‘we’re afraid it’s Cleveland,’ – nobody seems like they have optimism,” Windhorst said.
At the end of the day, this shouldn’t be surprising. James is likely about to play his final year or two in the NBA. Ending his career where it started with his hometown team would be difficult to pass on.
Despite that fact, James has not made a decision yet. A handful of teams still have a chance to convince him to pass on the Cavaliers.
LeBron James Would Be the Icing on the Cake for Philadelphia
Currently, the 76ers have a loaded roster that should contend for a championship.
If the season were to begin today, Philadelphia has a starting lineup penciled in of Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, Jaylen Brown, Dean Wade, and Joel Embiid. They also have Labaron Philon Jr., Anfernee Simons, Justin Edwards, Dominick Barlow, and Adem Bona as their projected bench.
Adding James to that list of players would likely be the final piece of the puzzle.
James is coming off of a 2025-26 NBA season with the Los Angeles Lakers that saw him continue playing at a high level. He played in 60 games and averaged 20.9 points, 7.2 assists, 6.1 rebounds, and 1.2 steals per game, while shooting 51.5 percent from the floor.
While it may seem like the 76ers don’t have much of a chance to sign James, they have a lot to offer. Until a final decision is made, Philadelphia should be considered a contender to land the longtime NBA superstar.
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