NBA Rumors: Philadelphia 76ers May Have Lost Their Chance At LeBron James
The free agency period this coming offseason was set to be a special one for the Philadelphia 76ers. There are numerous reports, that LeBron James has interest in joining the Sixers along with the Houston Rockets, San Antonio Spurs, and Cleveland Cavaliers. But there was one factor in all of this. The news made headlines towards the end of the season when the Sixers were catching fire and the Cavaliers were struggling. Wow, things have certainly changed during the playoffs.
With the Cavs struggling after making major trades during the NBA Trade Deadline, the whispers got louder that Philly may be LeBron’s next destination. And why shouldn’t it be? The Sixers are young, athletic, and have tons of cap space and more room to grow than almost any other team in the league. What the Sixers are missing is a leader to help teach the younger guys like Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid how to win the close games.
[MarkAds]While Simmons and LeBron have struck up a mentor/mentee-type of friendship, LeBron’s decision will still come down to wins and losses. Not the Sixers, but the Cavaliers.
At the start of the playoffs, it seemed as if LeBron’s days in Cleveland were numbered as the Cavs appeared lost against the Indiana Pacers. There was no way a LeBron-led veteran team could lose to the wet-behind-the-ears Pacers team. But sure enough, the Cavs found themselves in a tight series with the Pacers. Although they would go on to win the series, many didn’t give them a fighting chance against the No. 1 seeded Toronto Raptors.
But then something snapped in the Cavaliers and not only did they win the series, they did so in convincing fashion with a 4-0 series sweep. Now, suddenly, the Cavaliers were the Cavs again and the whispers of LeBron leaving Cleveland quieted down a notch.
Philadelphia 76ers Are Hoping LeBron gets Crushed Against The Celtics
While Cleveland was sweeping the Raptors, the Boston Celtics were putting the finishing touches on the Philadelphia 76ers. The importance of that was why would LeBron leave Cleveland now when his current team is winning? This is what the Sixers must worry about. The thought throughout the entire season has been that this Cavs team would not be good enough to contend for a title. However, they have proved everyone outside of Cleveland wrong. And in the process may have saved their franchise for another season or two.
What the Sixers should be hoping for is a total disaster for LeBron James against the Celtics. If the Cavs were to advance to the NBA Finals, the Sixers can all but forget James heading to Philly. This is just the nature of the game and shows how fast a turn around can take place. Maybe the Cavs are just riding a wave of emotion like the Sixers did during their 16-game winning streak before falling back down to earth.
LeBron coming to Philly will all but guarantee them a trip to the NBA Finals in 2019. All they need is for Kevin Love and the rest of the guys to do what they did through the regular season. And that is to fail LeBron James when he needs them most.
[BXReporter]
Mark has been covering Sports and Entertainment for the past six years. His work has been featured on Bleacher Report, ESPN, Fox Sports, Teen Vogue, and many other websites.
