Getty LeBron James
Leading up to the February 8 trade deadline, the Philadelphia 76ers attempted to acquire LeBron James from the Los Angeles Lakers, according to a new report from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Ramona Shelburne.
Per the report, 76ers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey called Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka to inquire about James after his “cryptic social media post of an hourglass a week before the trade deadline.”
However, no serious discussion ever transpired, as Morrey was immediately told that James was not available. In fact, he responded “by asking Morey if Joel Embiid was available, sources said. And that ended that brief conversation.”
According to the same report, the Golden State Warriors also reached out in an attempt to land the All-NBA superstar. However, “In the end, the answer was returned resoundingly on the eve of the trade deadline: Paul told Lacob and Warriors GM Mike Dunleavy Jr., that James had no interest in a trade and wanted to remain a Laker, sources said. When Dunleavy reached out to Lakers GM Rob Pelinka in those pretrade deadline hours, Dunleavy had been told the same: The Lakers wanted to keep James, sources said.”
Will the 76ers Try Again?
While their first attempt came up futile, Wojnarowski and Shelburne reported that the 76ers would be among suitors looking to pry James away from the Lakers this summer, writing “James remains focused on returning to the Lakers in the offseason, sources told ESPN, but undoubtedly there will be many of these same suitors — including Golden State and Philadelphia — looking to convince James otherwise.”
James currently has a $51.4 million player option on his contract for next season.
It appears Morrey was adamant about adding a star player at the deadline, as he also “called the Phoenix Suns and asked about a trade for Durant prior to the deadline, sources said. When told no, Morey then asked about the availability of Devin Booker and Bradley Beal, too. Unsurprisingly, those were rebuffed as well, sources said.”
Tough Schedule for Philly
The 76ers are in the midst of a grueling stretch of their schedule, in which they play a team that is currently slotted to make the playoffs in seven out of eight games.
On February 12 they defeated the red-hot Cleveland Cavaliers 123-121, in a game in which their All-Star guard Tyrese Maxey had 22 points. On February 14 they will face the Miami Heat, followed by the New York Knicks, Cavaliers, Milwaukee Bucks, and Boston Celtics.
Without their MVP center Joel Embiid, who is currently recovering from surgery on his meniscus, the 76ers will do all that they can to remain in the playoff picture. If they can, there is some level of optimism that Embiid might return for the playoffs. He is scheduled to be re-evaluated sometime in approximately the first week of March, assuming the original timetable has not changed.
Another encouraging sign is the play of Buddy Hield, who was acquired from the Indiana Pacers at the trade deadline. Over his first two games in Philly, Hield is averaging 21.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 6 assists per game, while shooting 38.1% from three. If he can maintain his strong play it will be a massive boost for the 76ers.