The Philadelphia 76ers were able to win the LeBron James sweepstakes. He signed a two-year deal worth $8 million that includes a player option. He chose Philadelphia over Cleveland, Miami, Golden State, and Minnesota.
Prior to landing James, the 76ers were also able to bring in Jaylen Brown. They traded Paul George, two first-round picks, and two second-round picks in order to bring in Brown. Apparently, that move was enough for James to seriously consider the Sixers.
GM Mike Gansey gives full credit to Brown for Philly being able to sign James.
GettyLos Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James dribbles the ball in a game. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images)
Mike Gansey Claims Jaylen Brown Brought LeBron James to the 76ers
While appearing on SportsCenter, Gansey made sure to give all of the credit for James’ signing to being able to trade for Brown.
“Without getting Jaylen, I don’t think we get LeBron. Obviously, Jaylen’s one of the best players in the league and to get him onto the roster with Tyrese [Maxey], with VJ [Edgecombe], with Joel [Embiid], and then some of the free agents we got, obviously before all this, it changed the game for us. We just said, ‘Hey, let’s try to put a full court press: everyone reach out, sell him on Philly. I think if he comes, he could be the missing piece and we could be really good.'”
Brown is coming off his best season, in which he averaged 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 5.1 assists while shooting 47.7 percent from the floor and 34.7 percent from beyond the 3-point arc. Yet, the Celtics decided that they were going to be better off without him moving forward.
James will be 42 years old next season. He was still able to average 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 7.2 assists while shooting 51.1 percent from the field. While he did shoot the second-lowest 3-point percentage of his career, he showed he is still able to be an effective player.
GettyPhiladelphia 76ers forward Jaylen Brown speaks to the media during his introductory press conference. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
The Sixers Will Likely Approach the Regular Season Differently
Adding both Brown and James will allow the 76ers to approach next season differently. Brown is one of the most durable players in the league, having never played fewer than 57 games in a season. Having both him and James on the roster will allow them to rest Joel Embiid more in the regular season.
Embiid has played just 96 games in the last three seasons combined. He was also not healthy in their series against the Knicks, which led to the Sixers being eliminated. Keeping Embiid healthy in the postseason will allow them to be the most effective version of themselves.
A year ago, the 76ers had the second-worst assist ratio in the league. Adding James gives them one of the best passers in the history of the NBA. His gravity will allow other players to slip free for open shots, something the Sixers struggled with all of last season.
76ers’ MIke Gansey Credits LeBron James Signing to One Player