Mike Gansey has had a busy start in Philadelphia. On June 8, the former general manager of the Cleveland Cavaliers was introduced as the 76ers’ new president of basketball operations.
In under a month, he helped orchestrate the trade that brought Jaylen Brown to Philadelphia from the Celtics in exchange for Paul George and draft picks.
On Thursday, Gansey appeared on Unfiltered with Ricky Bottalico and Bill Colarulo on 97.5 The Fanatic to discuss his tenure so far.
Bottalico and Colarulo wasted no time bringing up the details of the trade, which Gansey revealed “came out of nowhere a little bit.”
“We’re talking to Boston, and Jaylen [Brown], obviously he was out there in the media, and as every team does they make a call and see if he’s available and just kept talking to Boston for a couple weeks and didn’t know if anything would really happen,” Gansey said. “Next thing you know, they wanted to do a deal and that’s kind of how it happened.”
As trade talks progressed, it was clear George was going to play a key role in it, though Gansey said in his introductory presser that team were fully prepared to have the 36 year old as part of the team next season.
And most experts have agreed the Sixers got the better end of the deal, which Gansey said from the front-office’s perspective, they’re excited about.
Paul George and Jaylen Brown are swapping jerseys next season.
“Obviously, we haven’t played a game yet so I don’t know what it’s going to look like but Jaylen’s been one of the top players in the league, one of the best two-way players. He’s coming off a career year,” Gansey said. “So when those guys come available, you at least try to make a call and try to get in there.”
Now, playing for what once was his rival team, Gansey said there’s still a little bit of confusion for Brown as he tries to adjust.
Among the adjustments Brown has to make is playing with Joel Embiid, who Brown publicly criticized for flopping on a Twitch stream following Game 7 of the Sixers-Celtics first-round series.
But since then, Gansey said he believes Brown has spoken to Sixers ownership and head coach Nick Nurse, and is excited to play with Embiid.
“He is like, ‘I am going to get in the gym with Joel here soon. I am going to push him. I am going to get him right,’” Gansey said. “He is going to bring some championship habits, attitude, and toughness to us that I know the city of Philly loves. It is like music to my ears listening to him and talking to him and he’s really fired up for the season to come up.”
Jaylen Brown (left) is excited to be teammates with Joel Embiid.
Gansey said he also spoke to Embiid following the trade.
Entering into the offseason healthy, Gansey said Embiid is in a “really good space right now” as he begins to ramp up his training in the weight room ahead of the upcoming season.
“He’s excited. You know, surprised but excited as VJ [Edgecombe] and Tyrese [Maxey] and the rest of the group has been,” Gansey said. “It’s obviously going to be a big change but I think they’re welcoming it and they’re kind of excited to get the group together.”
The Sixers are still in the race to add another key to their roster, NBA superstar LeBron James. And Gansey said with a player like him, who he called “the greatest player to play the game,” moving at James’ pace is something teams are always going to be OK with.
“I’ve known LeBron for a long time, and have a ton of respect for him, and obviously I think he’d be a great fit for our group, and of course we’d love to have him, but you know he’s a basketball savant,” Gansey said. “I’m sure he’s taking this all in, and he’s super smart, and now he’s trying to figure it all out.”
And while he might still be adjusting to being a Sixer, that didn’t stop Brown from offering a few words to James on another livestream.
Appearing on a steam with influencer IShowSpeed during the France-Morocco World Cup Game, Brown encouraged James to “pull up to Philly.”
Jaylen Brown: “You gotta tell LeBron he gotta pull up, man. Pull up to Philly.
IShowSpeed: “LeBron, pull up to Philly. Think about it. LeBron, Jaylen Brown, PG13…”
Even without landing James, Gansey said he already spoke to Nurse, whose “head is spinning in a positive way” as they figure out how to approach the season with all the star-power currently on the roster.
“We have an open roster spot, so we’re obviously looking at ways we can get better. Obviously, we’re holding that roster spot right now for someone,” Gansey said. “Depending on how that goes, we’re going to continue to look at ways to get better and improve our team.”
The 76ers are in an enviable position less than two weeks after the open of NBA free agency. They entered the summer hampered by the contracts of Joel Embiid and Paul George and few options other than to run it back with a team that finished seventh in the East and lost to the eventual champion New York Knicks.
The Inquirer’s Gina Mizell and David Murphy talked about the recent moves that changed the Sixers’ fortunes, including the trade of Jaylen Brown, courtship of LeBron James and more.
This was edited for clarity and conciseness.
Gina Mizell: Let’s just start with this… How would you describe this offseason overall for the Sixers? It’s still lots that potentially could happen, which we’ll get to in a little bit, but just overall, what’s your impression of what president of basketball operations Mike Gansey and the Sixers have done so far this offseason?
David Murphy: I’m kind of at a loss for words. I mean, you could describe the Jaylen Brown trade with just, ‘Wow,’ you could go with ‘unforeseen.’ I don’t think anybody really saw this coming. Over the course of the offseason, I’ve been listening to just about every hoops podcast, national podcast, you could possibly think of, and absolutely nobody had this in the cards for the Sixers. And I think that the biggest surprise to me was that that Paul George’s contract was something that the Celtics actually viewed as something that was stomachable or palatable. I watched Brad Stevens’ press conference the other day, and I was surprised that it sounds like they wanted Paul George. This wasn’t necessarily a salary dump, so I think that was kind of the keystone that allowed all this to happen.
But from the Sixers perspective, I think it was a no-brainer. You don’t lose much in terms of financial flexibility. Jaylen Brown was signed for one more year than Paul George, and the Sixers have gone from kind of rebuilding and two timelines to another three-year window here, where they’re going for it. You can’t help but be excited whether you’re a fan or someone like us who covers the team.
I was at the park with my 15-month-old son, Max, and it was, I think, 5:30 p.m. We were killing time before dinner, and I just got a text from a buddy of mine, because we have been group chatting about NBA stuff for four weeks. We had each kind of wagered our bets on where Jaylen Brown would end up, and the text message I got just said, “Wow, didn’t see that coming.”
Where were you when it happened, and what was your initial reaction when that came across your phone or your computer or whoever you saw the news,
GM: I was at home, and what I always share with our fellow NBA reporter friends is that my mom’s birthday is July 1, so it’s actually a miracle that she has not disowned me, given that July 1 is always a busy day in the NBA calendar because it’s the opening day of free agency. But I had called her finally, maybe like about 4:30 p.m. in the afternoon, Eastern time, because the Sixers had a lot of things that happened. Kelly Oubre had moved on, Quentin Grimes had moved on, they had signed Ariel Hukporti, and it kind of reached this point in time where I’m like, ‘OK, I think I can get this like 15-minute phone call in and catch up and do all that stuff.
Jaylen Brown has shared that he’s excited to join the Sixers and get started in Philly.
At that point I wasn’t really expecting anything else to happen that day, and then the news pops about an hour later. And when it came across my phone, I literally said many expletives out loud, loud enough that my apartment neighbors maybe could have heard, because I just could not believe it. And so, no, it was just crazy when it all went down.
But now that we’ve had a chance to sort of marinate on this deal — it’s a few days old — has anything changed about sort of what you wrote in that initial column, as far as the fit financially, as far as building that championship window, like you mentioned, just kind of now that you’ve sort of sat with it? Any new thoughts, any additional thoughts, any deeper thoughts about how this is all going to work out now, adding Jalen Brown to this group?
DM: Not really from the Sixers perspective. I’ve actually spent most of my time, but I’m in the process right now of writing for tomorrow, the end result of that. Just kind of trying to answer the question, ‘What were the Celtics thinking?’ That was my first reaction along with just about everybody else in the world. My reaction first and foremost was, ‘Wow, like that’s all? That’s all they got for Jalen Brown? And I think my thinking on that, more than anything, has changed a little bit. I’m still surprised that you know, look, people want to rip the Celtics, but this is, first and foremost, a story of 28 other teams that did not beat the Sixers offer. So you can absolutely blame the Celtics for trading Brown, if that was the best offer on the table, the fact is that was the best offer on the table, and that’s something to think about.
I think that, you know, one of the key points that, and I believe this before the trade, I think people are underestimating how valuable that the Clippers pick is, that the Sixers traded to the Celtics. And I think Stevens kind of hinted at that yesterday in his press conference. Somebody asked him why Philly, and his response was essentially that this was the best move for the future of the franchise and the assets that we could get. I agree with him 100 percent. You know, I talked to somebody in the Sixers orbit during the season. I was shooting the bull and asking about the new lottery odds, and they said to me that Clippers pick is going to get a lot more valuable with these new odds, and I think you know that’s something that people really need to understand.
GM: The contracts of Paul George for Jaylen Brown are very similar but Brown does have one more year on his current deal, and he is extension eligible on July 26. So the Sixers roster is already very top heavy and is going to continue to be top heavy when you look at Tyrese Maxey, Jaylen Brown, Joel Embiid, obviously still on his big deal, and then potentially coming up if VJ Edgecomb is going to get a payday in a few years. But I think you’re exactly right about that Clippers pick, because you look at what they’ve been and who they are now in the last six months or so with trading James Harden, trading Ivica Zubac, obviously trading Kawhi Leonard right before free agency opened. And that is a team that you would expect that pick to be very valuable.
But just adding Brown to this mix coming off of the best individual season of his career, sixth in MVP voting, really carried that Celtics team that a lot of people thought would take a gap year with Jayson Tatum out with the Achilles injury, and now adding him to this group. Who is he going to enhance the most? Who does his game, when you look at Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid when healthy, VJ Edgecombe, some of these other complimentary players, who do you think Jalen Brown is most going to enhance? Where is he most going to make this team even better, in addition to what he does individually on the floor?
DM: A few years from now, Peyton Pritchard, and that’s really the second apron. This is really a story of the second apron doing what it was intended to do, and it was intended to spread superstar talent, and it’s doing that, so I think that more than anything, from the Celtics perspective. I actually think they made a very tough decision but I admire them for that. I think when you really look at, when you really look at the nuts and bolts of it, this move will leave them better off for the long haul, and maybe even the short and medium term.
I think it’s kind of a package thing. He’s going to make the pairing of Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe workable. Edgecombe and Maxey, in the future, and you know, building around them. Anytime I talked about Edgecomb and Maxey in the future, and building around them, you almost have to put Joel Embiid out of it. I’m not convinced at this point that he’s even 100% going to be here next year. It wouldn’t stun me. He’s been conspicuously silent on social media ever since this trade went down. I’m not predicting that. I think it’s more of a possibility now than it was before, you know, especially seeing what we just saw. I’m not ruling anything out is what it comes down to.
HSBE president of sports Bob Myers hired Mike Gansey, Daryl Morey’s replacement. Can he also help bring LeBron to Philly?
So, I think you almost have to put him to the side, regardless of whether he’s here or not, you know, Mike Gansey’s number one priority was to build, start building a team that can win with Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe as their back court, and that was going to take, it was absolutely going to take two big wings, and ideally one of them being a guy who could could score, who could slash, who could play some bully ball, who could give them an element that, at least at this point, you know, Maxey probably will never have in terms of strength, and VJ, I think, could but just isn’t there yet.
GM: You wrote yesterday or the day before, just about the basketball fit for LeBron, and how and why the Sixers make a ton of sense, just not to make you regurgitate what you wrote on the Inquirer, but just what are sort of the reasons why, based on everything that you just said, that just adding a guy like Lebron, who obviously is not the perennial MVP contender that he once was, but is still really, really, really good, and would that be the type of piece that would put the Sixers over the top?
DM: Someone made an argument to me that I now buy… I think the Timberwolves are probably the best basketball fit for them, for him, you know, and I think that he would probably have better title hopes with them as well, just because of the presence of Anthony Edwards, Jaden McDaniels on the defensive end. But I think the Sixers are right there with the Timberwolves in terms of pure basketball fit. I think, again, Bam Adebayo and Giannis Antetokounmpo are clunky as it is. LeBron could maybe help alleviate some of that, but at the same time that’s an interesting threesome to have out there on the court, and it certainly has a chance to not be an enjoyable basketball playing experience for LeBron. And I think he’d say the same thing about, you know, Cleveland, assuming Harden comes back. No disrespect to James Harden, but I wouldn’t want to spend the last year of my career watching him dribble, dribble around a basketball court.
I personally think if I was LeBron I would opt for the Warriors and the Nuggets, just because I think playing alongside Nikola Jokic or Steph Curry would be a heck of a lot of fun, and just kind of a neat way to see what happens for the last year of my career. LeBron will fit anywhere, is what it comes down to. If you plug him in at the three or the four for the Sixers, whatever you want to consider, with Jaylen Brown, I think I think they’ve got as good a chance as anybody.
“I didn’t know that, my grandpa just told me,” Jaylen said in the clip. “I don’t think [A.J.] knows that, either.”
But if A.J. didn’t know before, he does now. He responded on Instagram by posting a clip from the movie Poetic Justice on his story with the caption “Big Cuz hit me!”
#Patriots WR A.J. Brown posts on Instagram after finding out he and #76ers Jaylen Brown are cousins:
— New England Sports Fellow (@_JosephManning) July 8, 2026
While Jaylen grew up in Marietta, Ga., A.J. grew up in Starkville, Miss., about 300 miles away. But despite their different upbringings, there are still a few things that clearly run in the family, starting with their elite athleticism.
They also went back-to-back in winning their championships, with Jaylen winning an NBA championship in the 2023-24 season with the Celtics and A.J. following with a Super Bowl win in the 2024-25 season.
Fans also pointed out that the colors surrounding the teams involved in each trade is similar with both Jaylen and A.J. originally wearing green and white before going to a team with a red, white, and blue colorway.
Jaylen Brown and AJ Brown:
– Disgruntled Star players – Won a title in the city that traded them – Centerpiece of a Boston-Philly trade pic.twitter.com/FkR6p8tax4
Jaylen shared the details of the Brown family tree during an event at Massachusetts Institute of Technology for his 7uice Foundation, which focuses on bridging the gap for opportunities for underserved youth.
Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey proclaimed that July 7 will now be known as 7uice Foundation day in the state going forward.
During the same event, Jaylen met with a young Celtics fan who went viral for his reaction following his trade to Philly.
Known on social media as “Gio the Tiger,” the young fan went viral after video showed him crying over the trade with his Celtics jersey on and what read “Filla” written over the Boston team’s name. The text on the video said that the 6-year-old was experiencing his “first heartbreak” after learning the news of his favorite player’s trade.
After Jaylen commented on the original post reminding Gio they’d “always be friends,” the duo connected in person where he was also able to deliver a hand-written note to Jaylen and interview him as well.
This is what Boston will be missing. A true community leader.
Biblical references seem to find a home with the Philadelphia 76ers.
Moses Malone arrived in 1982 and immediately led the team to the promised land.
Allen Iverson arrived in 1996 and, five years later, took the Sixers to the NBA Finals. For fans of gospel music, his nickname, “The Answer,” recalled a 1970s hit by Andraé Crouch and the Disciples: “Jesus is the Answer.”
And, now, LeBron, who was nicknamed “King James” while still a princeling high school star in Akron, Ohio. His namesake, England’s James I, commissioned a translation of the Bible in the early 17th century, the one with all the “Thee’s” and “Ye’s” and my personal favorite, “believeth.”
But if, by some miracle, he does agree to a tiny free-agent contract this summer, LeBron surely would make the Sixers a favorite to win their first Larry O’Brien Trophy since Larry O’Brien actually was the NBA commissioner.
This has not been the case largely because the sole benefit of “The Process,” the disastrous, failed rebuilding strategy that began in 2013, is Joel Embiid. He has MVP talent, and he won the award just three years ago, but his rank unprofessionalism — a refusal to commit to fitness, too much energy focused on extracurriculars, an obsession with personal milestones — has kept Embiid and the Sixers from reaching their potential.
And, while King James might not save Embiid’s mortal soul, with his special brand of tough love, LeBron very well could save Embiid’s mortally afflicted career.
Come on, man
Before this goes any further, I don’t believe LeBron is interested in playing basketball for the Philadelphia 76ers. Yes, the Sixers somehow traded Paul George and picks for Jaylen Brown — Celtics president Brad Stevens must’ve lost either a bet or his mind — which instantly turned the Sixers into a viable Eastern Conference contender. Nevertheless, I think it’s likely that LeBron’s representatives are using this (feigned) interest as leverage to land the King elsewhere.
I don’t think he wants to be in Philadelphia, which is a much tougher city than anywhere else he’s played. I don’t think he wants to deal with an organization with an absentee owner and a first-time top executive. I don’t think he wants to be associated or represent one of the most dysfunctional organizations in major league sports over the past 14 years, and with the NFL’s Jets, Raiders, and Browns in that mix, that’s quite an accomplishment. I don’t think he wants to play for the NBA veteran minimum, which is all he’d get at this point.
Would LeBron James be willing to play for the veteran minimum?
There is a chance, though, that his desire to be worshipped will override his desire to give himself the best chance to win a fifth title, because nowhere would worship him the way Philadelphia fans would worship him, just as they worship Moses for leading them out of the wilderness.
LeBron already did that in Cleveland and Miami. And, as my colleague David Murphy pointed out on Monday, his agent, Rich Paul, said the Knicks disqualified themselves from the LeBron sweepstakes when they won a championship. Murphy’s logic: He could not end their drought, and therefore could not be seen as their savior, so why bother?
Now that Jalen Brunson did what Patrick Ewing failed to do, LeBron can’t do it. But he damn sure could help Embiid do what Embiid will be paid an average of $62.6 million a year to do over the next three seasons.
Winning a title, even with James on board, requires getting the most of whatever’s left out of Embiid, who has bad knees and a bad attitude. Getting the most out of Embiid is something that championship-winning coaches Doc Rivers and Nick Nurse abjectly failed to do, and they had three years apiece.
This is different.
LeBron, who is 41 with the body of a 32-year-old, is entering his 24th season. He has gotten the best out of his teammates everywhere he’s gone, whether it’s fellow Hall of Fame-caliber players like Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, and Kyrie Irving or lesser lights such as Kevin Love and Mo Williams. He has won four championships because of it. You think Austin Reaves — an undrafted tweener guard who averaged 10.8 points in four years of college — would have been offered $185 million by the Lakers for the next four years if LeBron hadn’t been his teammate for the past five years?
Injury issues have plagued Joel Embiid throughout his career.
Embiid, who is 32 with the body of a 42-year-old, is entering his 11th season since being drafted, though he missed the first two seasons with injuries. On the day the Sixers season ended in a playoff sweep (at the hands of those Knicks) he announced that the 2025-26 season had been a success for him. That’s because his left knee no longer impeded him to the degree it had him impeded him for the past several years.
Embiid then swore that, at the end of this summer, when training camp begins, since his body feels better, he will be better prepared than in recent years to finally get the Sixers … past the second round of the playoffs?
Talk about aiming low.
At any rate, no Sixers since Moses himself is better equipped to make sure Embiid follows through on his latest promises. It worked on “big-boned” Charles Barkley.
“If it wasn’t for Moses Malone, I’d be working at McDonald’s.”
Charles Barkley on how the late, great Moses got him to lose 50 pounds and changed the course of his NBA career. pic.twitter.com/eovRoU1E9w
— Podcast P with Paul George (@PodcastPShow) August 8, 2024
Filling a void
Since trading cornerstone All-Stars Andre Iguodala in 2012 and Jrue Holiday in 2013, the closest the thing the Sixers have had to a real leader was Jimmy Butler, whose headstrong attitude and routine insubordination were less an example of leadership than a display of self-aggrandizement. Embiid was in his third year of actually playing NBA basketball during the Season of Jimmy, and he certainly got that message.
Who’s the leader now?
Embiid blew his chance years ago when it became clear that he was less interested in chasing championships than he was in seeking MVP trophies, Olympic gold medals, milkshakes, and Shirley Temples.
I went to Chick-fil-A with Landry Shamet and (get ready for the sports radio style tease!) you WON'T BELIEVE the amount of Chick-fil-A calories Joel Embiid consumes during team flights https://t.co/yRGIMKFE6C
Tyrese Maxey is an ebullient, well-spoken workaholic, but he lacks the gravitas to lead a championship-caliber team, especially when the roster includes more accomplished players like Embiid and Brown.
As for Brown — well, he might find it hard to lead a bunch of dummies; last week, he called most pro athletes morons when compared to him after unnamed sources accused him of thinking he was the smartest person in the room: “Let’s keep it a buck [100] … The bar is f— low.”
James might not be a budding chess master like Brown, but he’s smart enough to know how to win a title and how to run a team. After all, the bar is low.
Do you think LeBron is going to let Joel make his teammates wait for 2½ hours to leave for the plane after road games? Do you think LeBron is going to sit around and wait for Embiid to come to meetings and shootarounds? No. The answer is, simply, no. If you’re James’s teammate, you will be professionalized or you will be marginalized.
If LeBron James comes to Philly, you will see a fitter, tougher, more committed Joel Embiid.
James’s habits aren’t contagious, they’re compulsory. It’s a trait he shares with Kobe Bryant. James is kinder than Kobe, and he’s more deferential, but compared to the typical laissez-faire NBA star, he’s neither kind nor deferential.
He is desperate to win, and if you can’t help him do that, then he doesn’t have time for you.
Again, I don’t think it’s a realistic outcome. But King James in Philly would be the best medicine for Embiid’s ailing legacy.
The 76ers are reportedly among LeBron James’ top three preferred free-agency destinations as teams continue to court him deep into the summer. The other options are the Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.
Meanwhile, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, who has deep Ohio ties, said the pendulum appears to be swinging toward the Cavaliers, but the Sixers and several other NBA franchises are not counting themselves out.
So you’re telling the Sixers there’s still a chance? They’ve been here before, vying for James’ services most recently in 2018 as he considered teaming up with a young Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons. Now the Sixers once again have an attractive roster centered around Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, Jaylen Brown and VJ Edgecombe.
It could be a while before we learn James’ final decision, but here are five things that make the Sixers attractive to the 41-year old.
LeBron’s quest for a new challenge
James has done all there is to accomplish in basketball. He has four NBA titles, 10 Finals appearances and he owned the Eastern Conference for a decade. And there’s even lore surrounding those titles, as he brought one championship to his home state and resurrected franchises in Miami and Los Angeles.
He holds the NBA’s all-time record for scoring, minutes played, games played, and more. All-time greats in sports are constantly looking for new challenges, and James is running out of options. So if he’s looking for a place to retire, the Cavaliers hold the sentimental edge and Florida is the retirement capital of the country. But only the Sixers offer new territory.
Jaylen Brown and Joel Embiid battled in last year’s first-round series between the Celtics and Sixers.
The Jaylen Brown trade
Prior to the Brown trade, folks in Philly saw James’ departure from the Lakers on the news ticker and kept moving along. The addition of Brown created a potential starting lineup of Maxey, Edgecombe, Brown and Embiid. And while Dean Wade was a great free-agency addition, James could look at that lineup and slot himself in at power forward and see a real title contender. That’s the moment “everything changed” for the Sixers’ chances of landing James, according to James’ agent and Klutch Sports owner Rich Paul.
The Eastern Conference has also presented a level of parity that could benefit the Sixers. While the East has won two of the last three titles, no team has made a repeat Finals appearance since James’ Cavaliers made it four straight times. Brown’s Celtics made the Finals in 2022 and won in 2024 and he knows how to get back. Famously, the Sixers haven’t made it past the second round since 2001, but it’s a notch in their belt to have someone who understands that process.
Tyrese Maxey’s Klutch ties and infectious personality
Maxey’s rise continues. Originally selected with the 21st pick out of Kentucky in 2020, Maxey had to wait his turn for the Sixers. He played behind Simmons and competed with Shake Milton for minutes. But once given a full-time role, Maxey’s star took off. He became a starter, then an All-Star and then an All-NBA performer. Now, Maxey is one of the pillars of the Sixers’ pitch to James after averaging 28.3 points, 4.1 rebounds and 6.6 assists and leading the Sixers to the postseason.
There’s also the personality piece, because Maxey’s infectious persona and work ethic have been lauded by everyone in the Sixers’ organization. And, of course, as Klutch Sports clients with deep ties to Paul, James is familiar with both sides of Maxey. And Paul has repeatedly said that James “loves” Maxey.
The greatness of peak Joel Embiid
That it took this long to get to Embiid should say something about the state of things. Embiid played only 38 games last season and called that a success because he learned more about managing his knee that could benefit the Sixers going forward. Of course, it was to some extent because he played only 19 games the year before because of knee surgery. And when available, Embiid was exceptional in 2025-26, including a stretch where he looked like his old MVP self. He averaged 26.9 points on 48.9% shooting, 7.7 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 1.2 blocks in 38 games.
Then, when he appeared primed for a healthy postseason, Embiid was diagnosed with appendicitis and missed multiple games in the Sixers’ first-round series against the Boston Celtics. But then he showed flashes once again, powering the Sixers to a series win after they went down three games to one. He averaged 28 points, 9 rebounds and 7 assists in four games and the Sixers were 3-1 in games he played. And then he was drained as the Sixers were swept by the eventual champion New York Knicks. The highs and lows with Embiid are stark, but the highs are great enough that even a player like James could hold out hope.
Mike Gansey (second from left) and Jameer Nelson (right) have been busy filling out the Sixers’ roster this summer.
Competence in the front office
Previous iterations of the Sixers tried to land James, but they weren’t always taken seriously. They had talent with Simmons and Embiid in 2018, but weren’t stout up top as Brett Brown served as interim president of basketball operations and head coach. Former president of basketball operations Daryl Morey took big swings in recent years but saw trades for Paul George and James Harden fail to lift the team.
Things appear to have taken a turn this summer. Mike Gansey, Bob Myers and Jameer Nelson are at the helm and appear to be building a team that will compete in the Eastern Conference. Moves to bring in Brown, Wade, Ariel Hukporti, Anfernee Simons and rookie Labaron Philon Jr., have started to add balance to the Sixers roster and are a good sign for the forthcoming Sixers season. And there’s still a chance one big name could be added to the bunch.
LeBron James’ free-agency decision (4.0) still lingered through Wednesday.
It looks like agent Rich Paul intends to continue turning this into content for his Game Over podcast. Bob Myers, the president of Harris Blizter Sports & Entertainment, was the guest on the episode released Wednesday to, among other things, make his pitch for the Sixers.
Though James’ answer could be far from imminent, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that the Sixers are now in the all-timer’s top three contenders. Philly joins the Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat, two former homes where James won NBA championships. And Paul has said James will make his choice based on “happiness,” which could pertain to basketball, to life, or some combination of the two.
What are the cases for the three remaining possibilities? Here is a breakdown.
Sixers
Pros
A perfect fit
Paul said while breaking down his now-famous white board of possible James landing spots that “everything changed” with the Sixers once they pulled off the blockbuster trade for Jaylen Brown.
James would perfectly slide into the forward spot of a potent starting group, which also features former NBA Most Valuable Player Joel Embiid, All-NBA third-teamer Tyrese Maxey, and standout young guard VJ Edgecombe.
Though the cliché that James’ skill set and exceptional basketball IQ fits with any team is true, the Sixers do make a ton of basketball sense.
Rich Paul made a whiteboard laying out LeBron’s “realistic” destinations
Coming to Philly also would allow James to chase a championship with a fourth team, enhancing his argument as the greatest player in basketball history.
There also would be some oomph behind doing it with the Sixers, a storied franchise that has not advanced past the playoffs’ second round since 2001 and has not won a championship since 1983.
If James helps the Sixers finally over the hump, that is a legacy-building final act.
The Maxey connection
James also has a longtime friendship with Maxey, another prime Klutch client. Maxey has worked out with James since his predraft process in 2020. Maxey’s name had an asterisk next to it on Paul’s white board.
James also has ties to president of basketball operations Mike Gansey, who played against the NBA star in high school and worked in the Cavaliers organization for over a decade. His brother, Steven, even may have been the first to hint that the Sixers had a real shot to land James.
Shortly after the Brown trade, Steven tweeted a photo of James and Mike Gansey together as high-schoolers with the eyeballs emoji.
Cons
No history
Unlike Cleveland and Miami, James has no past connection to the Sixers. And like his Lakers tenure, it is worthwhile to consider how he would be embraced by a proud and passionate (and parochial) sports market.
Cleveland Cavaliers
Pros
A storybook ending
It would be the ultimate storybook ending for James to end his career with his hometown team — and where he began his NBA journey and ended the Cavaliers’ championship drought in 2016.
It would be worthy of a documentary or miniseries, just in case anybody happens to be considering that. And that might trump, well, anything else on this list.
Top-end talent
The Cavaliers boast a talented roster — led by All-NBA guard Donovan Mitchell, defensive big man Evan Mobley, and (likely) fellow longtime star James Harden — that just advanced to the Eastern Conference finals.
LeBron James of the Lakers laces up his sneakers before warming up for their game at the Wells Fargo Center on Jan. 28, 2025.
Front-office ties
Brandon Weems, one of James’ closest friends and high-school teammate, is Cleveland’s assistant general manager. Interestingly, Weems could be promoted to general manager after Gansey left that position to join the Sixers.
Cons
Odd fit with Harden
On the surface, it feels like an odd fit with Harden, though the former MVP and scoring champ is more of a table-setter at this point in his career. Harden also remains a free agent.
Been there, done that
There is a “been there, done that” element to returning to the Cavaliers for the third time.
Is there a light risk in dimming his legacy — either in Cleveland or in the broader basketball universe — if this swan song backfires?
Miami Heat
Pros
Heat culture
James returns to the glamour market — and #HeatCulture —where he won his first two championships.
Leadership continuity
Though the roster obviously has changed, organizational continuity remains at the top.
Miami is still coached by Erik Spoelstra and run by Pat Riley, with whom James has repaired his relationship after he left Miami to return to Cleveland in 2014.
The Heat just traded for two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Cons
Been there, done that (too)
Ditto on the “been there, done that” element. The Decision to go to Miami in 2010 was seismic. How would it feel 16 years later?
Clunky offense
Antetokounmpo pairing with versatile big man Bam Adebayo has the potential to be a clunky fit, at least initially. The Heat also traded much of their depth — including scoring guard Tyler Herro — in order to get Antetokounmpo.
Because of all of that, right now Miami still feels a tick below the other top Eastern Conference contenders.
For likely the last time, the Sixers are in the hunt to acquire LeBron James.
Philly has been burned before, dreaming of signing James in 2010, 2014, and 2018, only to wind up empty-handed as he used that leverage to sign elsewhere.
Even now, it seems like the favorite in the clubhouse is a return to Cleveland for what could be his final NBA season. But after acquiring Jaylen Brown, the Sixers have been aggressive in pitching James on coming to Philadelphia. The latest involves the man who led the search to replace Daryl Morey — Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment president Bob Myers — pitching James’ agent Rich Paul directly.
On Friday’s episode of Paul’s Game Over podcast with Max Kellerman, Paul, the head of Klutch Sports and James’ longtime friend, used a whiteboard to break down the teams interested in his client, spawning many conspiracy theories about where the four-time MVP could land. Less than a week later, Myers made an appearance to make his case for the Sixers, one of the first teams on Paul’s viral whiteboard.
“If he was here, I’d say I honestly believe [Philly] is your best chance to win,” Myers said. “… What I would just say is, if it’s about winning, let’s talk about this team. Because you can win here in Philly.”
Previously on the podcast, Paul said “everything changed” for James when the Sixers acquired Brown, turning Philly into a much more attractive destination. He also pointed to James’ relationships with executive vice president Jameer Nelson, who was an early NBA contemporary, and president of basketball operations Mike Gansey, against whom he played in high school in Ohio. And Paul discussed how James would fit with some of the current Sixers, including fellow Klutch Sports client Tyrese Maxey.
“He loves Maxey, so we don’t even have to talk about that,” he said. “I think VJ [Edgecombe], he helps VJ understand really how to play the game. Obviously, Jaylen Brown. Embiid, his health and habits, the health and habits of Embiid are there. [James] enhances everything there. He unlocks everything there.”
Does that all mean there’s actually a chance? Or is it still a leverage play? After their offseason signings, the Sixers only have the space to sign James to a veteran minimum. That shouldn’t be a deal-breaker for James, who reportedly is more interested in his legacy than money, but it could indicate that the Sixers don’t have much confidence.
ESPN NBA insiders Brian Windhorst and Shams Charania believe the team has a real shot. And, according to Charania, Philly is among his top three teams.
“When the Sixers got Jaylen Brown, I did some research, and [LeBron] is taking their pitch very seriously,” Charania said Tuesday. “When I talk to teams now I have a hierarchy of Cleveland, Miami, Philadelphia, and then some teams on the peripheral.”
Meanwhile, Windhorst reported that while there’s a lean toward Cleveland, the Sixers don’t feel like they’re out of it.
“While there is a ‘vibe’ pointing toward the Cavs, coming off their best non-LeBron season in more than 30 years and signing Donovan Mitchell to a four-year maximum contract extension, other teams are not counting themselves out,” Windhorst wrote. “The Golden State Warriors, Denver Nuggets, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Philadelphia 76ers each believe they have a compelling case, per sources.“
It’s not clear when James expects to make a decision, and the speculation could continue deeper into the summer. But it does appear James is at least considering the Sixers. Then again, he said that last time.
A few months after Nike paid homage to Kobe Bryant’s Lower Merion roots with a full collection for the 30th anniversary of his state championship run, it appears more locally inspired shoes are on the way next year.
Vanessa Bryant, Kobe’s widow, gave fans a sneak preview of new Kobe releases on the horizon, and among them are Eagles-inspired Kobe 5s in Protro form.
Nike is dropping a Kobe 5 Protro "Philadelphia Eagles” color-way. They will release in January 2027 and retail at $200. pic.twitter.com/o7mZKtWh9C
The shoes — which appear to have a green suede base color — have a black Nike check, a white color lining the midsole and tongue, which features the signature green Mamba logo. According to multiple sneaker outlets, the shoe will drop next January and will retail for $200.
The “Eagles” Nike Kobe 5 is one of seven styles of shoes that Vanessa Bryant posted on her Instagram stories on Tuesday evening. The six other shoes coming in the next year are: the Nike Kobe 6 “Polka Dot White,” Nike Kobe 6 “Polka Dot Red,” Nike Kobe 6 “Bellisima,” Nike Kobe 9 Elite High “Ironman,” Nike Kobe 9 Elite Low “Dusty Pink,” and Nike Kobe 9 Elite Low “CA Mountain Snake.”
It wasn’t the first time Brad Stevens had heard the question. His story piques a natural curiosity. A man widely regarded as one of the world’s finest basketball coaches walked away from one of the world’s finest basketball coaching jobs at 44 years old. He did so to become a suit. Over the last five years, plenty of people have wondered aloud to the Celtics’ president of basketball operations.
So, do you miss coaching?
“I did this week,” Stevens said on Monday, recounting a conversation he had with an interrogator last week. “This is not for the faint of heart.”
Stevens’ news conference alongside Celtics majority owner Bill Chisholm earlier this week offered the world its first chance to inform its opinion on a trade that stunned the NBA like few before it. While the Sixers have yet to announce when they will field questions about their blockbuster acquisition of Boston superstar Jaylen Brown, the guys on the other side of the deal didn’t have the same luxury.
Rarely does an NBA team encounter such a universal and vociferous disagreement with a trade as the Celtics did to their decision to trade Brown to the Sixers for Paul George and a couple of first- and second- round picks. Here in Philly, the jubilation surrounding such a no-brainer decision was further enhanced by the opportunity to watch Bostonians engage in a collective public meltdown unlike any it has staged since at least the Revolutionary War. One local radio host called it the worst trade in Celtics history. Another said he felt physically ill. Bill Simmons said he woke up from a colonoscopy and assumed he’d died.
“I’m with you,” Stevens said. “That is a hard thing to trade a guy that you, first of all, care so much about and secondly have so much respect and admiration for, to a team that just beat you in the playoffs and that you’re literally going to play six times before the playoffs next year, with our two preseason games. But I do think that ultimately when you do a deal you need to think about you first and the optionality it creates for you. If I’m being honest, if that exact deal came from a team out west and you were comparing the two, then you’d probably take the team out west. But that’s not the way it was working.”
Whatever the immediate local reaction to Stevens’ defense of the decision, he and Chisholm offered a master class in how to handle blowback. You do it directly, immediately, and humbly. It helps when you believe in your decision-making process, which the Celtics clearly did. And, look, they were right to feel that way. Because, chances are, this ends up being a good decision for them.
That’s not the same as saying that the Sixers will regret their decision to trade for Brown. Nor is it the same as saying that the Celtics “won” the deal. None of those things are exclusive from one another. There is a scenario where the Celtics and Sixers both did what was best for them, and that the price was perfectly fair. Granted, things rarely align on all three of those fronts. But this is one of those deals where both sides made the most rational decision and where the market dictated the terms. A lot of the criticism currently being aimed at the Celtics would be better targeted at the 28 general managers who either couldn’t or wouldn’t beat the Sixers’ offer for Brown. If anything, the market was the irrational actor.
Jaylen Brown spent 10 seasons in Boston after getting selected third overall by the organization in 2016.
From the Sixers’ perspective, the argument remains largely as it did in the immediate wake of the deal. More than practically any other player in the NBA, Brown at least renders believable the idea that the Sixers can contend for a championship over the next two years, given both their smallish backcourt of Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe and their preexisting financial condition. Brown’s size, athleticism, explosiveness and shotmaking are a much better fit at about $60 million over three years than George was for essentially the same AAV over two years. That, at the very least, means the Sixers will be doing something other than treading water and praying for a miracle for the duration of Joel Embiid’s contract, which is as immovable — and limiting — as any in the NBA.
The Celtics were not bound by those constraints. Their desire to remain that way sits at the heart of the decision to trade Brown. Keeping his contract on their books could easily have led them to a fiscal and competitive cliff. A lot of the criticism of the Celtics seems to underestimate this reality.
The criticism doesn’t account for the idea that Payton Pritchard is worth the entire amount of the four-year, $100 million extension he is eligible to sign. Over the last two seasons, seven guards in the NBA have a .600-plus true shooting percentage while attempting at least 20 shots per 100 possessions. Those seven are Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Austin Reaves, Jamal Murray, Anthony Edwards, Luka Dončić, Desmond Bane, and … Pritchard.
The criticism doesn’t account for the contract that former second-round pick Jordan Walsh could command as a free agent next summer. It doesn’t account for Hugo González potentially hitting his option year at the same time Pritchard’s current deal is expiring. The Celtics could have made it work for the next couple of years, sure. But they wouldn’t be able to do it the two years after that. The teams that lose sight of those years are the ones who end up where the Sixers were.
The criticism of the Celtics also seems to under-assess the Celtics’ return. The 2028 draft pick they acquired is hugely valuable given the probability that it ends up as a maximum-odds lottery pick and the time-value aspect of its relative immediacy. The 2031 unprotected pick will be perfectly timed on a number of levels.
I don’t have room to show you all of the work. But you should at least be able to accept that a basketball mind as astute as Stevens’ and an organization as accomplished as the Celtics have done the work. In a weird way, all of the factors that have generated such outrage are also evidence of how strongly the Celtics believed in their decision.
Few teams have the stones to trade a player at the peak of his value. The Celtics’ skids were greased by Brown’s eligibility for a contract extension. More often than not, the word “No” is a first domino.
“They convinced me this was the best way for us to win, and I got there, I did, but it was hard,” Chisholm said. “It was really hard. And I recognize this is a big, big move.”
It is unquestionably a move that works in the Sixers’ favor. But that doesn’t mean it won’t work out for the Celtics, too.
Dean Wade lived two houses down from the St. John High School gym, and had a set of keys.
Well, his mother, Trish, did. She was the school’s volleyball and track coach in their town located “in the middle of nowhere, Kansas,” Dean said, and he often swiped those keys to let himself in for his own workouts.
“I lived in the gym,” Dean recalled Tuesday. “That was all I ever really knew was basketball.”
That commitment eventually led Dean Wade to the NBA, where he elevated himself from an undrafted player on a two-way contract to complementary contributor on the Cleveland Cavaliers team that advanced to the Eastern Conference finals this year. The 6-foot-9 forward has earned a reputation as a versatile defender — he guarded point guards, wings, and power forwards during the playoffs — who can space the floor on offense.
“A big reason was just kind of fit,” Wade said of why he joined a team that now boasts All-NBA wing Jaylen Brown alongside entrenched stars Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid.
Wade acknowledged during Tuesday’s introductory session with Philly media that, while growing up in a place with a population of less than 1,200, the NBA felt like a “cool dream” but not exactly a realistic option.
Still, Wade was part of an athletic and competitive household. Older sister Teresa was a standout volleyball player like their mother. Their father, Jay, played college football at Kansas State. Dean, though, was the “worst loser” if a parent beat him in a no-stakes card game.
On the basketball court, Wade developed into the state’s top high school player in 2015 — despite playing for one of its smallest schools — and a four-year standout at Kansas State. After Wade was not selected in the 2019 draft, a Cavaliers front office featuring new Sixers president of basketball operations Mike Gansey signed him to a two-way contract to split time between the G League and NBA teams.
“I think [Gansey] had a big say in that,” Wade said.
Dean Wade has shot 36.7% on three-pointers in his career.
Still, Wade was not regarded as a defensive stalwart when he first entered the NBA. During a candid conversation with Cleveland assistants, he learned that committing to that end of the floor would be his path to earning meaningful minutes.
So he got stronger in the weight room. He embraced his stints in the G League. And in his second NBA season, a barrage of injuries suddenly pushed Wade into 19 starts that made him believe he could “truly stick in this league.”
Now, Wade relishes whenever a ballhandler isolates against him, and the game becomes “head up, and who’s better?”
“I’ve got to play with that little chip on my shoulder,” Wade said. “I love that competitive spirit, where it’s just whose will is going to outlast whose? That’s where I enjoy the defensive part of it. …
“You don’t want to let any of your teammates down. You know how important you are on the defensive end, and you’ve got to do your job so everyone else can do their job.”
Wade averaged 5.8 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.5 assists in 59 games last season for the Cavaliers, and earned praise from teammates such as All-NBA guard Donovan Mitchell for his postseason defense.
Now, Wade gets to play alongside Brown, who is a stout defender in addition to his offensive excellence. Wade called Brown “definitely one of the toughest people I’ve had to guard” because of his blend of size, athleticism, skill, and “edge.” Wade also has experienced Maxey’s blazing speed firsthand, acknowledging the All-NBA guard has blown by him a time or two.
So Wade’s goal on offense is to be enough of a three-point threat — he has shot 36.7% on an average of 3.2 attempts in his career — to give those perimeter scorers, plus Embiid, space to operate. He vowed to put himself in position to grab offensive rebounds. And he brings plenty of experience with playoff intensity, through team success and missteps.
Wade won’t need a set of keys to enter his new home gym in Camden. He will navigate his first Sixers season alongside Gansey, who regularly was among the first faces he saw wherever he walked into the Cavaliers’ practice facility.
And when asked about what he expects from Philly, Wade leaned on a tidbit he picked up from former Sixer and Cavalier Georges Niang.
“It’s the best fans in the world — as long as you’re playing the right way,” Wade said of Niang’s message. “I feel like I take pride in playing the right way.”
Adem Bona’s $2.3 million salary for the 2026-27 season became fully guaranteed Tuesday.
Adem Bona’s contract becomes guaranteed
Adem Bona’s $2.3 million salary for the 2026-27 season became fully guaranteed Tuesday, after the Sixers did not waive the reserve big man before July 7.
Bona, who is entering his third NBA season, is expected to compete with newcomer Ariel Hukporti for the backup center job behind Embiid. Last season, Bona shared that role with veteran Andre Drummond, who left the Sixers in free agency to sign with the New York Knicks.
Bona averaged 4.8 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks in 17.1 minutes per game in 2025-26. He impressed with his athleticism and rim protection, but struggled to stay out of foul trouble and limit mistakes. He was a second-round draft pick in 2025.
Hukporti, who on Monday signed his one-year, $3.4 million contract, was a part of the Knicks’ championship team.
Now, the 24-year-old big man is ready to learn from Embiid — and “just do my job.”
Hukporti believes that will encompass the “dirty work” on the defensive end, where his athleticism allows him to switch onto multiple positions. He also plans to be a reliable screen-setter for the Sixers’ guards headlined by Maxey and VJ Edgecombe.
Ariel Hukporti (left) has averaged 2.1 points and 2.7 rebounds in limited minutes across 79 games in his first two NBA seasons.
“Just the little things that make a big impact when it comes to winning,” said Hukporti, who was New York’s third-string center behind Karl-Anthony Towns and Mitchell Robinson.
Hukporti has averaged 2.1 points and 2.7 rebounds in limited minutes across 79 games in his first two NBA seasons. Still, experiencing the Knicks’ title run — which featured multiple dramatic comebacks including an epic Game 4 of the Finals — reinforced a mantra of “never give up.”
“No matter what happens,” he said. “You can always win in every situation — the playoffs, especially.”
