The 76ers could have offered the Lakers a really good trade for LeBron James before the deadline.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Ramona Shelburne, a few teams, including the Philadelphia 76ers, tried to trade for LeBron James before the 2024 NBA trade deadline. The Golden State Warriors tried to bring LeBron James to play with Stephen Curry, but it didn’t work out. However, what was somewhat forgotten in the chaos was the 76ers’ effort to convince James to leave Los Angeles.
Daryl Morey didn’t try very hard and the Lakers stopped his efforts right away. According to Woj and Shelburne, Morey called Lakers GM Rob Pelinka and asked if James was up for trade. Pelinka said that their best player can’t be traded. He also asked Morey if Joel Embiid, the star player for Philadelphia’s team, was available for trade, which ended the discussion.
But, it would be good to think about what might have happened if the Lakers had listened to calls about James from the four-time NBA champion. Los Angeles asked James’ agent Rich Paul first before trading with the Warriors. James didn’t want to be traded and wanted to stay in Los Angeles.
The story about the 76ers didn’t get as much attention as the Warriors, but it’s still interesting to imagine what it would be like if Joel Embiid and LeBron James played together. Let’s think about what the Philadelphia 76ers could have traded for LeBron James just for fun.
Top trade offer from the 76ers to the Lakers for LeBron James
The Philadelphia 76ers get LeBron James.
The Los Angeles Lakers get Tobias Harris, Jaden Springer, Paul Reed, a 1st round pick in 2028 from the Clippers, and a 1st round pick in 2029 from the Clippers.
This is the best offer the Philadelphia 76ers could make for a trade for a 39-year-old LeBron James without including Tyrese Maxey. In this agreement, the 76ers are trading Tobias Harris’ contract, along with Jaden Springer, Paul Reed, and two 1st round draft picks they got from a previous trade, to the Clippers. In return, the 76ers get James and put him on the team with Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey.
Embiid, James, and Maxey joining Philadelphia would make them as competitive as the Boston Celtics and the Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference. The 76ers would be trading Tobias Harris for the 4-time MVP in this hypothetical situation, which would be a big win for them.
At the same time, he should also help Embiid improve his offensive skills. Even though James is best when he has the ball, he is also willing and able to play without it. Embiid is much better at passing the ball this season, and James could score a lot by moving quickly without the ball for Philadelphia.
James coming in means Maxey won’t be the main person in charge of making plays for the 76ers. James will probably be in charge of that instead. However, Maxey has proven that he can play without the ball and is even better at scoring when he does.
Also, because James might choose to not use his $51. 4 million player option next season, the 76ers can keep their options open and make changes during the summer to build a better team around their new Big Three.
“Recommended” means something that is suggested or advised for a particular purpose.
LeBron James is standing with a lot of money around him.
Would the Lakers think about doing this trade.
The Lakers definitely would have wanted Maxey in the deal. But in this make-believe world, James would have told the Lakers it was ok to trade him, which means he wouldn’t stay after this season if they decided to keep him. The Lakers will have to trade James for whatever they can get because they don’t have much power anymore. Otherwise, they will lose him for nothing in the offseason.
The 76ers might not have to give up Maxey in the trade. Instead, they could give the Lakers a player with a soon-ending contract, a good young player in Springer, and two good draft picks from the Clippers. Los Angeles’ rival towns are also trying to win now, so we can’t be sure what they will be like in 2028. Those two choices will be very valuable for the team.
Fortunately, it looks like The King is still dedicated to the Lakers for at least this season. Let’s talk about this again next time if James is not playing for a team.
