The Hardest Part of 76ers Adding LeBron James Has Nothing To Do With Money

Lebron James in a Philadelphia 76ers uniforms would be both strange and intriguing.

If the Sixers could somehow add James to a core of Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, Jaylen Brown, and Joel Embiid, the name value alone would be overwhelming. That starting lineup would have star power, scoring, physicality, and enough basketball intelligence to give any opponent a hard time. 

It might also be too much.

The issue is not whether James can still play. He can. James is no longer the one-man wrecking crew he used to be, but he remains one of the smartest players in the league. He can still control tempo, punish mismatches, create for others, and organize an offense with a level of poise few players have ever possessed.

The problem is how many players in that lineup are better with the ball.

Maxey is at his best when he can use his speed, attack gaps, and create advantages off the dribble. Edgecombe is still developing, but his value is tied to athletic pressure and downhill aggression. Brown is a physical scorer who wants to attack, get to his spots, and impose himself. Embiid needs touches in the post, at the elbows, and in isolation. James, even at this stage, is still most dangerous when he can survey the floor and dictate the possession.

In theory, that sounds like a luxury. In practice, it could become clunky unless everyone sacrifices. Someone would have to spot up more. Someone would have to cut more. Someone would have to accept fewer touches, fewer rhythm possessions, and less control. 

The Sixers would also have to fight against becoming too predictable.

Nick Nurse has often trusted his best players to create advantages, and Philadelphia’s offense has already had moments where possessions leaned heavily into isolation. Add James and Brown to Embiid, Maxey, and Edgecombe, and the danger is obvious. Instead of becoming a fluid, layered offense, the Sixers could fall into a your-turn, my-turn style where every possession is another star trying to win a one on one matchup. 

For this version of the Sixers to make sense, there would need to be invention. Maxey would have to fly off the ball. James would have to embrace more connective passing than dominance. Brown would have to attack quickly. Edgecombe would have to defend, cut, and run. Embiid would have to trust quicker decisions.

James to Philadelphia is a very fun thought, but it might be a bit too much. Philadelphia would be better off striving for a proper fit rather than another big name at this point; they already have plenty of those. 

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Wes Dixon is a contributing writer to 76ersRoundtable. He can be reached at [email protected].