The Philadelphia 76ers put the finishing touches on their picture-perfect offseason Friday with the signing of free-agent forward LeBron James. The four-time NBA champion took more than a month to reach his decision, deliberating intensely between Philadelphia, the Miami Heat, the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Golden State Warriors.
Ultimately, he felt that the 76ers have a better chance of winning a championship than the other locations who were on his list. This is news that would have been unbelievable to a fan of the team a couple months ago, when they were swept in the second round of the playoffs by the New York Knicks and held two of the worst contracts in the Association.
In the midst of all the chaos, Philadelphia managed to fire former general manager Daryl Morey — who handed out the contracts to forward Paul George and center Joel Embiid — offload George to the Boston Celtics for All-NBA forward Jaylen Brown and sign one of the greatest players of all time in James. The team is now positioned to compete for championships for years to come, with a core group of players ranging from 20-year-old guard VJ Edgecombe and 41-year-old James, marking a dramatic change from just a year ago.
76ers’ front-office blunders over the years
Before drafting Edgecombe, the 76ers had limited salary cap space, limited young talent and a front office that consistently set the team back. The team actually had New York Knicks forward Mikal Bridges before — for about 15 minutes before they traded him for forward Zhaire Smith, who played a total of 13 games in the NBA, during the 2018 NBA Draft.
Months after that ill-advised move, the team went all in for former All-Star forward Jimmy Butler, who played just one season with the team, moved to a team in-conference, the Miami Heat, and appeared in two NBA Finals series. The 76ers also made a ton of small, insignificant signings over the years that did little to move the needle, as evidenced by their 25-year conference finals drought.
Why LeBron James is the perfect fit for Philadelphia
After years of futility, roster shuffling and playoff heartbreaks, it seems like Philadelphia finally has a team that can contend. They have a unique blend of youth and athleticism but also experience and championship pedigree. Maybe they don’t have the best lineup in the league, but it certainly seems like it may fit together better than most teams.
James is one of the greatest passers of all time, so there is a strong possibility that he will run the offense a decent amount. 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey is one of the best catch-and-shoot players in the NBA, with Edgecombe is also showing some promise in that area, so the team should have a ton of space to play in. Then, when you consider Brown and Embiid, Philadelphia also employs two of the best isolation players in the sport.
The City of Brotherly Love now gets to field its version of a dream team thanks to a front office that is completely unrecognizable from a couple months ago.
Paul White is a contract writer from Philadelphia who attended Penn State University. He has contributed hundreds of stories about the NFL and NBA over the years and now brings that experience over to Yardbarker. He is a lifelong Philadelphia sports fan looking to bring the same passion from his city to sports media.
