Why LeBron will be a Sixer in 2018

"The Philadelphia 76ers have what it takes to woo LeBron James away from the Cleveland Cavaliers."

The Philadelphia 76ers are one of the top teams in the Association… and that’s not hyperbole. If they were to add LeBron James, they would be in championship-contention for the rest of the King’s career.

Philadelphia, as many know, is a big sports town. They’re also on a bit of a win streak.

The Philadelphia Eagles, who have always had a rabid fan base, just won the Super Bowl. Villanova University men’s basketball team, located just outside of Philly, is a powerhouse program that just won the NCAA Championship. Their second in three seasons.

Then there’s the Philadelphia 76ers. After having been one of the worst teams in the NBA, landing five lottery picks since 2014 and four top-five picks.

Among the old guard, only Jahlil Okafor (3rd overall pick in 2015) and a man now praised as a mad genius in former general manager and president of basketball operations Sam Hinkie have departed.

Ben Simmons (1st overall pick in 2016), Joel Embiid (3rd overall pick in 2014), Dario Saric (12th overall pick in 2014) and Markelle Fultz (1st overall pick in 2017) remain.

Embiid and Saric have shown the ability to coexist and lead the team, displaying generational talent and the tools to be Hall of Famers.

Again, that’s no exaggeration.

Saric is an underrated forward whose versatility makes him one of the better players in his class. Fultz, whose rookie season was derailed by a shoulder injury, has come on strong late in the season and seems to be a dynamic playmaker.

When you add in shooting specialists like J.J. Redick (who may remind James of Kyle Korver), Robert Covington and Marco Belinelli, players who can also be relied on to make defensive plays, their rotation already features seven rock-solid players.

A starting lineup of Simmons, Redick, James, Saric and Embiid would put extreme pressure on defenses every second that they were on the court.

Of course, players like Richaun Holmes and T.J. McConnell are deserving of minutes as well.

A second unit of McConnell, Fultz, Belinelli, Covington and Holmes isn’t to shabby either. After all, there would be a first overall pick leading the unit as he grows as a player.

James likely knows this already because he certainly knows how talented the Sixers rotation is.

Interestingly enough, his assertion that they’re a talented squad with or without Embiid is evidence enough that (a) it’s unlikely Embiid’s injury history would be a major deterrent in his free agency decision and (b) he believes in the foundation of players which should be known collectively as “The Process.”

James’ belief would start with his affinity for Simmons, his mentee and protege.

Simmons’ playmaking and defense are already at an elite level and he reminds many of James with his sensational passing ability, electrifying athleticism and ability to be a point guard in a forward’s body. His perimeter shooting is lacking but he’s always a threat to get to the rim and has a strong post game as well.

The “Fresh Prince” and “King James” would make the Sixers basketball royalty that inspired memories of the Showtime Lakers.

Fittingly, both Simmons and James have drawn comparisons to Hall of Fame point guard Magic Johnson for their passing ability, positional versatility and dominance.

Embiid, their do-it-all center and in-house comedian, is one of the three best scorers at center (along with New Orleans Pelicans big men DeMarcus Cousins and Anthony Davis). Though he’s probably not going to win any ironman awards anytime soon, he’s set to be a superstar in the league for a long time.

To be honest, no matter who the Cleveland Cavaliers were to select with the Brooklyn Nets’ 2018 NBA Draft pick, the Sixers’ top two players (sans James) would be better than theirs. Both Simmons and Embiid are better than Cavs center Kevin Love because they can consistently make their presence felt on both offense and defense.

Should the Cavs pull off a trade for a player like San Antonio Spurs forward Kawhi Leonard, the decision could be much tougher. However, without acquiring a player of that caliber — and Leonard is one of the top seven players in the NBA when healthy — the Sixers have an edge in terms of talent.

Newcomers George Hill, Rodney Hood, Jordan Clarkson and Larry Nance Jr. are part of the core group of players that need to convince James to stay.

However, their counterparts in Simmons, Redick, Fultz and, arguably, Holmes are just better.

Embiid is better than Love.

Love is a great offensive player and a knockdown shooter who is a walking mismatch. Even so, he’s not nearly as aggressive or dynamic a scorer as Embiid. Thanks to advantages his size, athleticism and defensive instincts, Embiid is a far better defender.

Add James to a team that’s already 3rd in the Eastern Conference and has one of the five best records in the NBA and how would they not evolve into one of the top two or three teams in the league?

The biggest adjustment would be between Simmons and James, with both needing be able to be off-ball threats and getting used to less playmaking opportunities and responsibilities.

However, James would fill the role of the takeover scorer while ceding much of his typical ball-handling duties to Simmons. It would be a setup not too unlike James Harden and Chris Paul’s roles with the Houston Rockets.

James and Simmons are two players who love to rack up the assists and make the right play. So, while there would need to be adjustments, it’s an experiment unlikely to fail.

Player personnel comparisons aside, I’ve mentioned before how James’ eldest son might play a role in his future.

James’ recent comments that that his family and winning will be the driving forces in his free agency decision obviously wouldn’t change that view (quote transcribed by cleveland.com’s Joe Vardon):

"“My family. That’s all that matters,” James told cleveland.com. “I want to continue to win at the highest level, because I know I can still do it as an individual, and then my family. My family is what’s most important to me, more than anything.”"

LeBron James Jr., “Bronny”, has been drawing rave reviews for years, especially on the AAU circuit. Next season, his son will be entering high school as he continues to put his own preternatural guard skills on display.

That’s a factor that matters because not only would James likely prefer to sign a long-term deal and not have to move his son out of high school but as Bronny gets older, James will be more invested in his son’s on-court development.

St. Vincent – St. Mary’s High School, James’ alma mater, would likely be where Bronny attended school if he was to stay in Ohio. However, to avoid living in his father’s shadow to that extent, he might prefer to play elsewhere.

If James wanted his son to attend one of the top programs in the country, Philadelphia-based Imhotep Charter is ranked 7th in the country (MaxPreps). No Ohio school is ranked in the top 24.

The weather in Philadelphia is likely similar to Cleveland’s considering Ohio and Pennsylvania border one another. Whether or not the cold and snow appeals to James and his family, they’re certainly used to it.

They’d have a lot of great sporting events to head to in Philly regardless though. Furthermore, Philadelphia is considered one of the five most romantic cities in the nation and that could find a fan in Savannah Brinson, James’ high school sweetheart turned wife and mother of three.

Another circumstantial note is that Philadelphia is synonymous with the birthplace of the United States of America. It’s where the Declaration of Independence was signed and where the Liberty Bell, a symbol of freedom, hangs. With James’ strong and opinionated stances on socioeconomic and political issues, such an iconic place seems like the perfect place for James.

Aside from every other good reason to sign with the Sixers is the intelligence and coaching ability of Brett Brown, the team’s head coach. Brown is from Gregg Popovich’s coaching tree, learning from the mastermind and guru for nine seasons as an assistant before taking the Sixers’ reins in the 2013-2014 season.

Despite failing to win more than 20 games in each of his first three seasons and winning just 28 games last season, it was generally understood that the Sixers didn’t want to win games but amass lottery picks and young talent.

A couple of these young players (Simmons and Embiid) would miss what was supposed to be their rookie season. Embiid would miss his first seasons. However, once their best players healthy, the wins started rolling in for Philadelphia.

Brown preaches defensive fundamentals and execution while being willing to utilize players in the roles that fit them best, such as playing Simmons at point guard instead of small forward. James has commended Brown’s schemes there’s certainly mutual respect with Brown calling James “the best player to ever play our sport.”

Acquiring James will be easy enough as the team will have up to $31 million in cap space should they renounce their free agent rights to Redick, Belinelli and Amir Johnson. However, if they can trade Jerryd Bayless and convince Redick to accept an $8 million deal, only Johnson’s rights would need to be renounced.

The Sixers have multiple first-round picks if they want to use one to sweeten a deal and convince them to absorb Bayless’ expiring contract.

If Redick wasn’t re-signed, it would simply give Fultz or Covington the chance to start.

That said, unless the Cleveland Cavaliers win a championship and James wants to attempt a repeat (or barring a trade for Leonard), he has too many reasons to go to Philly and turn their team into a NBA powerhouse.

Will he “Complete ‘The Process'” in the summer of 2018.

Related Story: 3 reasons to trade for Kawhi Leonard