Thursday, October 1, 2026
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The Philadelphia 76ers have emerged as one of the leading contenders to sign LeBron James, with the NBA superstar taking the team's pitch "really seriously," according to ESPN's Shams Charania.
With at least 10 teams actively pursuing the future Hall of Famer, the Sixers are considered by Charania as a part of a “hierarchy” of teams receiving the most consideration from James and his camp, in addition to two of his former teams, the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Miami Heat.
“When I talk to teams around the league, when I do my research, the teams that continue to come up are Cleveland, Miami, Philadelphia, after they got Jaylen Brown,” Charania said.
“Philadelphia was not in the picture, and I think that's why this is somewhat a true free agency for LeBron James, because he didn't go into it with a calculation in mind, a plan in place.”
According to Charania, it was the acquisition of five-time All-Star and 2024 Finals MVP Jaylen Brown that initially sparked James’ interest in Philadelphia.
“When the Sixers got Jalen Brown, I did some research, and I found out within 24 hours, like he's taking their pitch really seriously,” Charania continued. “And so I look at it when I talk to teams now as kind of a hierarchy of Cleveland, Miami, Philadelphia, and then I think there's some teams on the periphery.”
Charania also noted the Golden State Warriors, once thought to be among the most likely landing spots for James, are now among the teams that are “on the periphery,” outside of the hierarchy that the Sixers have forced their way into.
Philadelphia's aggressive offseason under first-year president of basketball operations Mike Gansey has quickly reshaped the franchise's outlook, and has opened up an opportunity to sign one of the greatest the NBA has seen for pennies on the dollar.
James cannot sign with the Sixers for more than the NBA's veteran minimum, which would pay $3,876,529 for a player with his experience while counting roughly $2.4 million against Philadelphia's salary cap. A significant decrease from the $52.6 million he earned with the Los Angeles Lakers last season.
MORE: 76ers offseason tracker: Sixers, Celtics complete Jaylen Brown-Paul George trade
