Deadline-day trade proposal that the 76ers could have made to the Lakers for LeBron James
A few teams, including the Philadelphia 76ers, reportedly attempted to have a shot at Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James just before the 2024 NBA trade deadline, according to a shocking revelation made on Valentine’s Day by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Ramona Shelburne. The story focused mostly on the Golden State Warriors and their “unsuccessful bid” to get James to the Bay Area and team him up with Stephen Curry. But the 76ers’ attempt to lure James away from Los Angeles was somewhat forgotten in the shuffle.
Daryl Morey’s attempts were apparently short-lived because the Lakers shut them down right away. According to Woj and Shelburne, Morey allegedly asked Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka about James’ availability over the phone. Pelinka verified their franchise star’s unavailability. The talk was abruptly cut off when he seemingly asked Morey if Joel Embiid, the franchise star for Philadelphia, was on the table.
However, it would be interesting to consider what would have transpired if the Lakers had acted on James’ request to be called up, as the four-time NBA champion has done. According to reports, in order to acquire James’ opinion on a deal, Los Angeles first recommended the Warriors to his agent, Rich Paul. According to reports, James wished to stay in Los Angeles and had no intention of being dealt.
Even if the 76ers’ side of the story didn’t receive as much attention as the Warriors’, it’s still interesting to consider what Joel Embiid and LeBron James may look like together. In the interest of hypothetical play, let us examine the optimal trade that the Philadelphia 76ers could have made with the Lakers in exchange for LeBron James.
Without Tyrese Maxey, this is arguably the best deal the Philadelphia 76ers could have made at the deadline to acquire LeBron James, who is 39 years old. The primary salary component of this trade is the expiring contract of Tobias Harris, which the 76ers give up along with Paul Reed, Jaden Springer, and two first-round selections they acquired when they traded James Harden to the Clippers earlier in the season. James is acquired by the 76ers in return, where he is paired with Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid.
Embiid, James, and Maxey would immediately vault Philadelphia into the elite ranks of the Eastern Conference, right up there with the Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks. In this hypothetical scenario, the 76ers are essentially trading Tobias Harris for the four-time MVP.
He should also improve Embiid’s offensive output concurrently. Despite his preference for playing with the ball in his hands, James has demonstrated his ability and willingness to play off the ball. With James as a cutter and Embiid as a much-improved playmaker this season, Philadelphia may have some devastating and potent offense.
Maxey will no longer serve as the 76ers’ primary facilitator with James’ arrival, as James is expected to assume the role of key playmaker. However, Maxey has demonstrated that he can play off the ball and that doing so makes him an even more potent scorer.
Furthermore, since James may decide not to exercise his $51.4 million player option for the upcoming season, the 76ers can continue
