Getty LeBron James and Ben Simmons
When LeBron James made the decision to head to the Los Angeles Lakers in NBA free agency, it was widely viewed as an expected move. But to some extent, the Philadelphia 76ers had to believe they were in the mix to land the future Hall-of-Famer. After all, the Sixers are a young team on the rise with quite a bit of talent (even prior to their recent trades).
We all know how things played out, though, as the decision didn’t take much time, and the recruitment of Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid wasn’t enough to lure LeBron to Philly. One big hope for the Sixers on the push to land James surely involved the fact that he and Simmons are close friends. And their relationship is something the reigning NBA Rookie of the Year recently spoke about.
Simmons joined Laugh Out Loud’s ‘Cold As Balls’ with Kevin Hart, a known Sixers fans. He stated that LeBron is “definitely” a mentor to him, leading to Hart asking about James’ free agency. Here’s a look at the back-and-forth between the duo:
Kevin Hart: “When the whole LeBron phenomenon and talk of where he was going to go – end up, was Philadelphia a real thing?
Ben Simmons: “I think if it was probably earlier in his career it would’ve been a different story. But I think now, he’s you know, towards the end, so he’s able to make a decision based off how he feels and where he wants to be.”
Hart: “But a piece of you is like fu** that. I don’t need you here, Bron, this is my situation.”
Simmons: “Yeah, we got this right?”
It seems Simmons wasn’t sweating the decision his friend made in free agency, and it’s understandable. The Sixers had a strong core and have only built on that since the start of the year behind a few big moves from new general manager Elton Brand. Beyond that, Simmons has to be happy with the players around him and the massive upside of the current roster.
Sixers Bolster Starting Five for Title Run Through Trades
Although Philly was unable to land a max-level player in free agency prior to the year, the front office took it upon themselves to bolster the roster and create a win-now situation. The Sixers first acquired Jimmy Butler from the Minnesota Timberwolves sending a package which featured Robert Covington and Dario Saric.
Butler has seemingly grown more and more comfortable in Philly since first coming to town. And as solid as the Sixers’ starting lineup looked with Butler, things went one step further just prior to the NBA trade deadline when they acquired Tobias Harris in a trade with the Los Angeles Clippers.
Sixers Alter Second Unit With Trades
With Butler and Harris in town, it means the team’s first unit features Simmons, Embiid, Butler, Harris, and JJ Redick, who’s played the best basketball of his career in Philly. But even beyond that, the Sixers bolstered their second unit, trading multiple pieces including former No. 1 pick Markelle Fultz, Mike Muscala, and Landry Shamet, among others.
The front office brought in the likes of James Ennis, Boban Marjanovic, Mike Scott, and Jonathan Simmons. While these are all role players, they provide depth off the bench, something the Sixers were lacking prior to the trade deadline. Beyond that, the moves and new-look roster immediately increase the team’s outlook and chances to contend for a title this season.
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