Where LeBron James will end up in free agency remains one of the last remaining major questions of the offseason. There have been reports that the 22-time All-Star is nearing his decision, with five teams being listed as his most likely options.
One of those teams, the Sixers, appears to be utilizing its on-court star power to attempt to lure the superstar to Philadelphia. ESPN’s Dave McMenamin reports that the Sixers’ three stars – Tyrese Maxey, Jaylen Brown, and Joel Embiid – have been in touch with James, with Maxey serving as the primary recruiter.
Maxey, like James, is represented by Klutch Sports, and he and James have had offseason workouts together multiple times over the last few years. Maxey has even gone so far as to refer to James as a “big brother.”
James and Embiid won a gold medal together playing with Team USA, while Brown and James have a long history of competing against each other in the playoffs.
Bob Myers, president of the Sixers’ parent company, recently went on Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul‘s podcast in order to pitch Philadelphia as a landing spot, while new team president Mike Gansey said that the team has been in touch with Paul throughout the offseason.
“We’ve had conversations with Rich, really, since the Jaylen trade,” Gansey told The Athletic. “LeBron and his camp have kept quiet, and there has been speculation for different teams. But we’d obviously love to have LeBron.”
Gansey elaborated on the ongoing negotiations, as reported by Tony Jones of The Athletic.
“I think his decision is dragging out because he has a lot of good options and he wants to figure it out,” Gansey said. “He would obviously add a lot to our team. But at the end of the day, I know he’s going to make the right decision for him and his family.”
Gansey has a longstanding relationship with the four-time champion. Not only was he a fixture of the Cavaliers front office when James led them to a championship in 2016, but he also played with James on an all-state team in Ohio years ago.
James has previously indicated that his decision will come down to a combination of on-court fit, winning situation, and quality of life.