LeBron James‘ season has at least four more games left in it, as he willed the Cleveland Cavaliers to their fourth straight NBA Finals on Sunday night. The achievement, however, has done little to stem the speculation about his next step.
Free agency is almost certain for LeBron, whether he opts out and finds a new team or signs a deal with the Cavs to remain in Cleveland. It’s too good of an opportunity for him to pass up, and teams have essentially lined up to offer a home for James should he want to play for them. One of those cities is Philadelphia, which has a young core of players led by Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid and look to be a force in the Eastern Conference over the next few years.
Fans in Philadelphia seem interested in acquiring the services of LeBron James, and it seems like the players wouldn’t mind getting a chance on the court with King James, either. Simmons was asked by a TMZ cameraman whether he’d play well with James and had an optimistic answer: let’s try it and find out.
“There’s only one way to find out,” Simmons said.
It’s not a plea for help, but it does set up what will be an interesting summer for Sixers fans. They could get the room on their roster to afford a max contract for James without the bloodletting that could lose them a young piece to the puzzle. And James has said complementary things of Simmons in the past. There’s a lot of work left to do for James this season, but when it’s all said and done Philadelphia will be a big name you hear in free agency for James. Until he makes a real decision, that is.
