How LeBron James Could Sign with East Contender This Summer

Will LeBron depart this summer?

One of the biggest questions entering the offseason for the Los Angeles Lakers is what LeBron James will do. He is eligible to opt out of his contract to become a free agent but all reports have indicated that he is likely to return to the team.

But there is always that slight chance that he departs. If he does, one team in particular makes some sense.

Andy Bailey of Bleacher Report put together dream scenarios for each NBA team this offseason, with one of them having James heading back to the Eastern Conference. Not to the Cleveland Cavaliers but to the Philadelphia 76ers to link up with Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey.

“Dream: LeBron James: The “LeBron will follow Bronny to whoever drafts him” narrative has died down. It feels like he’s going to finish his career with the Los Angeles Lakers. But he can turn down his player option and enter free agency this summer. And if he does, the Sixers might as well try. The runway with LeBron wouldn’t be quite as long as it would be with PG, but for the next year or two, Philadelphia would be a 1A contender in the East.”

If James were to leave the Lakers, the 76ers do make some sense. He could be paired alongside two-star players and he had some interest in Philadelphia before coming to Los Angeles. Could he test that out once again?

The biggest issue with this move would be what it would cost the 76ers to land him. James wants a max contract and with Philadelphia already needing to pay Maxey this summer, it would leave the rest of the roster pretty barren if James signed on too.

However, Philadelphia would likely take that chance to grab some veteran players on a minimum deal to compete for a title. This is an unlikely scenario to happen but one that can’t be completely overlooked.