NBA Analyst Suggests Hypothetical 76ers Trade for LeBron James
Armed with expiring contracts and draft capital, the Philadelphia 76ers are a key team to watch in the weeks leading up to the trade deadline. One analyst recently put together a scenario where the team trades for one of the NBA's biggest stars.
During a recent episode of his podcast, Bill Simmons touched on the idea of the LA Lakers cleaning house and trading away LeBron James. The first team he mentioned that would be a good fit for him was the Sixers. Not only do they have the pieces to get a deal done, but they'd be in a prime position to win the title after an all-in move like this.
"It could go a bunch of ways, it could be a dump trade for the Lakers where they get expirings back and whatever picks they have left. They can get Tobias Harris and Marcus Morris back and throw somebody Philly's way and get two picks," Simmons said. "Now we've added LeBron to Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey, with a bunch of wings who can defend...I kinda like this idea."
After winning the In-Season tournament, the Lakers have begun to trend in the wrong direction. They currently sit in 10th place in the Western Conference with an 18-19 record. While rumors have emerged of head coach Darvin Ham being on the hot seat, everything Simmons suggested is completely hypothetical. LA has shown no desire to part ways with their star forward.
The Lakers might be struggling, but LeBron is proving to still be a high-impact player in the NBA. He recently turned 39-years-old and is still putting up averages of 25.2 PPG, 7.3 RPG, and 7.4 APG.
So far this season, the Sixers and Lakers have only squared off once. This meeting came back in November, with Joel Embiid and company winning in dominant fashion. LeBron ended that night with 18 points and five assists.
Embiid led the charge for the Sixers, posting a triple-double in the 138-94 victory. Philly and LA will meet for the second and final time this season on March 22nd.
