NBA Free Agency 2018: 5 offseason targets for the Philadelphia 76ers
1. LeBron James, SF/PF
In case you needed a reminder, the playoffs proved that until further notice, LeBron James is the NBA’s single most dominating force.
If not for an egregious brain fart from J.R. Smith, James likely would have dragged his woefully outgunned Cleveland Cavaliers to a 1-0 series lead against a Golden State Warriors team with at least four future Hall of Famers.
While James’ fit in Philadelphia might not be seamless, the upside justifies the risk.
In theory, it’s difficult to imagine how James would operate alongside Ben Simmons, as both players work best with the ball in their hands. Unlike the Chris Paul and James Harden tandem in Houston, Simmons isn’t a good enough shooter to command defensive respect off the ball, and sticking James in a permanent off-ball role would be a waste of his elite passing gifts.
However, head coach Brett Brown doesn’t sound too worried about making it work.
“If this player you’re describing was great, we’d figure it out,” Brown said when asked about potential free-agent targets during his exit interview. “Truly, we would figure stuff out,” the coach said. “It’s as honest and simple as I can answer that.”
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Seeing as James guided a largely terrible Cavaliers supporting cast to the Finals, imagine what he’d do alongside Simmons and Joel Embiid. A 60-plus-win season and berth in the Eastern Conference Finals would be well within reach, and it wouldn’t be outrageous to say the Sixers would be a legitimate threat to dethrone the defending champion Warriors.
Unless otherwise noted, all stats via NBA.com or Basketball Reference. All salary information via Basketball Insiders.