The NBA rumors involving LeBron James seem to be on hold for now as the Cleveland Cavaliers have advanced to another NBA Finals. As the King pursues another championship, there are fans still of the belief that he'll leave Cleveland once the summer is in full swing. That has brought up speculation of him joining several teams with the L.A. Lakers, Houston Rockets, and Philadelphia Sixers constantly mentioned. The latter of those teams features several emerging young stars who seem destined for the championship stage in the near future.
LeBron to 76ers next season?
The Philadelphia 76ers ended up losing to the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference semifinal round. The young team seemed to come together much quicker than expected thanks to big man Joel Embiid and their rookie Ben Simmons who finally got to play his first season. There's also Markelle Fultz who was the team's No. 1 draft pick last summer, and he's yet to fully show what he's capable of due to limited playing time. So will LeBron end up choosing this team if his championship quest doesn't play out as expected? TMZ recently caught up with Ben Simmons at LAX and brought up the Sixers rumors of LeBron coming to play in Philly. Ben says if he comes I'll play with him.
It's also mentioned that both Ben and LeBron are "facilitators." When asked if they could co-exist, Simmons said, "There's only one way to find out man."
A dream team or disruption?
Just imagining the concept of LeBron James being teamed up with Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid seems to have many Philadelphia fans salivating at the thought.
However, there are some detractors who feel this wouldn't be the best move for the emerging contenders in the East. Adding LeBron could end up having a detrimental effect. While there's no arguing LeBron's greatness even at this stage in his career, there's also the fact he tends to become the main focus of a team's offense.
If he were to join Philadelphia it could take away from Ben Simmons who has been groomed as the team's facilitator, so to speak. Simmons is still developing into the star player he will become. Don't forget that adding LeBron could end up ousting other players off the roster altogether to make room.
Of course, it can also be argued that adding LeBron James would make Simmons, Embiid, Fultz, and the other Sixers' players even better. LeBron is a masterful playmaker, and the fact he's adept at many aspects of the game could boost other players' stats. A double-team on LeBron would leave Simmons or Embiid open for the shot. Or these players could get even more assists than usual due to having LeBron on the court, ready to score.
Having LeBron on the team could also bring the franchise to another championship. Right now, LeBron is still a member of the Cavs and in pursuit of the title. However, it seems Ben Simmons would have no issues adding this superstar to his team. After all, who wouldn't want to have LeBron on their team to help them go after the NBA championship?