A few weeks ago, Shams Charania declared that the 2025 offseason would be one of the wildest in the history of the NBA. This prediction has largely held true thus far, with big names like Kevin Durant, Michael Porter Jr., Desmond Bane, and more all finding themselves on new teams, often in unexpected deals. But there is still a giant, or should I say a King, looming over the offseason, and his name is LeBron James. His seemingly reluctant acceptance of his player option, and lack of belief in the Lakers’ short-term championship aspirations have led to a myriad of trade rumors surrounding the Face of the NBA. But there is one destination that has been largely left out of these discussions, a sleeping giant in the LeBron James sweepstakes, with potentially the perfect package: the Philadelphia 76ers.

Listed as one of the top destinations for the Akron Hammer in his 2018 free agency, the franchise has long been associated with James. However, the Joel Embiid era has largely been a disappointment in Philadelphia, with the team failing to make even a single conference finals appearance. However, in an ever-weaker Eastern Conference, especially after injuries to conference superstars Jayson Tatum, Tyrese Haliburton, and Damian Lillard, the Sixers are shaping up to be one of the top contenders for the Eastern Conference title once again. And they have the perfect asset to trade for LeBron: a very similar contract in Paul George. Let’s explore why this trade scenario works for the Lakers, the 76ers, and because of his no-trade clause, LeBron James.

𝟕𝟔𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐋𝐨𝐠𝐢𝐜:

With an Eastern Conference gutted of its contenders, three teams are emerging at the top in what looks like a dogfight for the crown: the New York Knicks, the Cleveland Cavaliers, and the Philadelphia 76ers. Two of these teams, the Knicks and Cavs, are largely locked into their cores, with very minimal control over their own picks in the future and very few large tradeable contracts to be leveraged in a move to climb atop the others. Philadelphia faces neither of these issues, at least not to the same extent as the other two teams. They largely control their own picks over the next few years, with a few other teams’ picks sprinkled in, and Paul George is on a very large but tradeable contract. Packaging these assets means the team is not positioned to make a competitive offer for Giannis Antetokounmpo, who is also on the trade block; however, they have just the right combination to send to the Lakers for LeBron James.

Paul George was not a very good player last season in a season that was riddled with injuries to all of Philadelphia’s stars. This left his position, the forward spot, as one of the weak points in the Sixers' lineup. Both contractually and positionally, LeBron James could be a perfect upgrade from Paul George and vault the Sixers into contention. Between McCain, Maxey, and other players on this Sixers squad, they have plenty of shooting to surround the King, a proven strategy for Success with LeBron. Additionally, the current roster would have a very solid argument to the claim of the best team James has ever played with, which is a great chance at a title considering LeBron has four chips already with inferior supporting casts.

Next Moves for the 76ers: Re-sign Quentin Grimes | Sign Chris Paul

Projected Sixers Lineups:

Starters: Jared McCain | Tyrese Maxey | LeBron James | Kelly Oubre Jr. | Joel Embiid

Bench: Chris Paul | VJ Edgecombe | Quentin Grimes | Ricky Council IV | Johni Broome

𝐋𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐋𝐨𝐠𝐢𝐜:

The Lakers are Luka’s team now, and LeBron James isn’t happy about this. Moving on from James enables the team to move on to a new era instead of remaining stuck in the same LeBron James experiment that hasn’t resulted in a championship in half a decade. 

Paul George has always thrived as the second option, and he would have the ability to fill this role in Los Angeles. His fit alongside Luka Doncic has extremely solid potential considering George’s previous stints alongside other ball-dominant guards such as Russell Westbrook and James Harden. Adding Austin Reaves to this duo only raises its ceiling. The picks netted in the trade enable the Lakers to make additional moves. or just be a decent team in a post-George time should they elect to use the selections themselves.     Los Angeles also fills its need for backup centers, acquiring both Andre Drummond and Adem Bona to fill the gaping hole the Lakers suffered from last season.

Next Moves for the Lakers:

Sign DeAndre Ayton | Acquire a backup point guard upgrade

Projected Lakers Lineups:

Starters: Luka Doncic | Austin Reaves | Paul George | Rui Hachimura | DeAndre Ayton

Bench: Gabe Vincent | Dalton Knecht | Jake LaRavia | Jarred Vanderbilt | Andre Drummond

𝐋𝐞𝐁𝐫𝐨𝐧 𝐉𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐋𝐨𝐠𝐢𝐜:

As LeBron James is one of the only players across the association to have a no-trade clause, he must approve this trade as well. However, I think he would do so for a number of reasons. First, James does not have ill will toward the Sixers franchise or anyone there, as is the case for teams like the Miami Heat or Golden State Warriors. Second, LeBron would fit very nicely in Philly, alongside the guards with great shooting skills and Joel Embiid with his interior dominance, reminiscent of players like Kyrie Irving or Anthony Davis with whom James has experienced great success in the past. Finally, and most importantly, the 76ers represent James’ best chance at a championship. This team would clear everyone in the weak Eastern Conference and have a real shot at taking down the stacked reigning champion Thunder in a hypothetical Finals matchup.

Thank you so much for reading. If you made it this far, you probably enjoyed the scenario or found it interesting, so please drop a like and a flame. Also, feel free to comment your opinions on this deal, whether you think one of the three parties would pass for some reason, or what you think the outcome would be. I’m very curious to see what you all think of LeBron in Philly. With all that being said, yes, this post marks my official unretirement. Don’t expect daily or even weekly posts but I will be returning to this site fully. Have a good one, and see you next time.