The Philadelphia 76ers are expected to be one of several NBA teams to pursue LeBron James in free agency this summer, assuming he leaves the Cleveland Cavaliers for the second time in his career.
The 76ers are a good landing spot for James, and there are several reasons why. Philly is loaded with young talent, most notably Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid, and the team also boasts a quality coach, a passionate fanbase and a rich history.
However, there’s one thing that could give the Sixers an advantage over other teams in their pursuit of James. Ex-Cavs general manager David Griffin, who constructed Cleveland’s 2016 championship-winning roster, explained that advantage in a recent CBS Sports Radio interview.
David Griffin on Lebron James possibly to Sixers on @ZachGelb show on @CBSSportsRadio:"I do think it's significant that Rich Paul is the representative for Ben Simmons as well, so he's going to know the org very well. That will certainly give them a leg up"
— Jon Johnson (@jonjohnsonwip) June 3, 2018
Rich Paul, of course, is James’ agent as well.
A lot has been made of the potential fit between James and Simmons, and if the 2018 Rookie of the Year Award finalist could thrive in a more off-the-ball role alongside a ball-dominant playmaker such as James.
Players of that caliber usually figure it out and make it work. They’ll each sacrifice a little bit of their games to accommodate their teammates. Just look at James Harden and Chris Paul on the Houston Rockets this season.
Griffin is right, though. Paul knows the 76ers, so if James does take his talents to Philadelphia, you can bet it’ll be a well-informed decision.
