Brett Brown hints that Sixers will pursue LeBron James in free agency

Philadelphia 76ers head coach Brett Brown hints that his team will pursue Cleveland Cavaliers small forward LeBron James in free agency.

Give credit where credit is due because Philadelphia 76ers head coach Brett Brown didn’t name-drop the future free agent that he believes could help the team — but if you’ve kept up with the LeBron James to Philly timeline and narrative — you know exactly who he’s referring to in his comments about what his young Sixers team could use moving forward.

Per Real GM’s Wiretap:

"“I think another high level free-agent is required [to win a championship],” said Brown. “I think we have the ability to attract one.”"

When asked for clarification on the potential free agents he was looking for, Brown would have this to say:

"“We don’t have to turn this into calculus. It’s quite clear.”"

Let’s start with the two quotations above.

The first is almost completely conspicuous in that although James is a great player, he wouldn’t be the only “high-level free agent” on the market.

Players like Oklahoma City Thunder small forward Paul George will be on the market and though he’s not the same level of playmaker as James, he’s a five-time All-Star at 28-years-old and is one of the best two-way players in the game. He’s also a player who could help them, as one of the issues that plagued them in the postseason was the lack of a second perimeter player who could break defenses down off-the-dribble.

The second quotation is the one that reveals Brown’s true free agent target, as his saying “it’s quite clear” who the target is alludes to what should be seen as public knowledge.

While George could opt to join the Sixers, his infamous words after losing to the James and the Cavs in the 2017 postseason were that it’s “really frustrating to continue losing to the same team or same person.”

Coming back to the Eastern Conference, where James has reigned for the past eight seasons, is unlikely to be what he wants. It’s not clear that George, who was at a time reported to be “hell-bent” on joining the Los Angeles Lakers, wants to join the Sixers anymore than it’s clear that the Sixers will want to sign a player that doesn’t want to go through the best player in the game to reach the NBA Finals.

However, if you look at James’ respect for the Sixers, from Brown to his protégé Ben Simmons to their bench unit in conjunction with the Sixers’ praise and obvious desire for James, it’s pretty clear that he’s the target.

Here’s James giving his thoughts on the Sixers’ roster, from top to bottom.

Here’s James, mentioning the young Sixers as one of the top teams in the East.

Though he’s dismantled the Toronto Raptors postseason after postseason with his mental edge, they’re certainly a talented team and finished the regular season with the East’s best record. The Boston Celtics, who were still being led by Kyrie Irving when James made these comments, will meet the Cavaliers in the Finals without their All-Star point guard. That should give you a fair idea of how good they are.

That James would mention the Sixers in the same breath with the top-seed in the East and a team that made it to the Eastern Conference Finals in back-to-back seasons is high praise.

Here’s Brown calling James the GOAT (Greatest Player of All-Time).

Sixers shooting guard J.J. Redick agrees.

There is no other team that offers this many compliments for James, an opposing player.

The San Antonio Spurs and their head coach Gregg Popovich come close because he’s certainly a big fan of James (both on and off-the-court). However, with the drama surrounding Kawhi Leonard, he also has a reason to stroke James’ ego ahead of free agency.

James, who might have to be signed in place of Redick if the Sixers can’t get creative with their salary cap, would be a great signing for any team but his championship pedigree, basketball IQ and all-around dominance are exactly what the Sixers are missing.

They have talent.. and a lot of it. They have shooters.. and a lot of them. They have a great coach. They don’t have a player who can be both a their glue and their conductor.

Simmons is obviously a floor general with preternatural court vision, IQ and passing ability. However, with the current limitations to his scoring game he can’t be the key to dismantling other teams like James is.

While James’ age has slowed him down a bit, his game is virtually devoid of a true weakness.

James, whose focus is on his championship run, hasn’t committed to the Cavs long-term so it’s certainly possible that the Sixers will have a chance to woo James in free agency and have a sit-down meeting with him and his agent Rich Paul of Klutch Sports.

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