NBA Rumors: Why the Cleveland Cavaliers Should Fear Losing LeBron James to the Philadelphia 76ers
The Cleveland Cavaliers are currently playing for the right to make their fourth consecutive NBA Finals, but in all likelihood, the looming free agency of their resident superstar LeBron James is on their minds as well.
James has done a great job of keeping his offseason plans to himself, but still, rumors are hinting at possible teams he could go to in free agency.
The Philadelphia 76ers are one of those teams, and that's easy to understand. After all, which team would pass up the chance to add a player who many fans believe has a shot at being the greatest of all time?
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There are some other team-specific reasons why James would be an ideal offseason signing for the upstart 76ers.
The first reason why James would be able to help the 76ers immensely is that of his experience.
At times during the 76ers' now concluded playoff run, they looked lost, and that's understandable. Many of the key members of the 76ers roster are new to playing in the postseason, including their two stars Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid.
Playoff basketball is a different beast entirely and sometimes, the moments just become too overwhelming. James will not shrink from those moments, however, and he could show Simmons, Embiid and the other 76ers how to get things done when the games matter most.
The second reason why the 76ers should sign James is because he still has that ability to bring out the best in his teammates.
James actually posted his highest assists per game average this past season, according to Basketball Reference, so he is not shying away from getting his teammates involved even as he's closing in on some major scoring landmarks.
James has always been fond of using his preternatural gift for passing and if he continues to do so with the Philadelphia 76ers, then his teammates will see their scoring numbers increase significantly. With James at the core, the 76ers could be able to field one of the most potent offenses in the league.
One more reason why signing James is a good idea for the Philadelphia 76ers is that he can serve as a mentor for the team's best players.
Though he and Embiid are very different players, James can still teach the young center how to better handle the media. Embiid's already a player who grabs headlines regularly and at times, dealing with all that attention can be challenging. James has been doing that dating all the way back to high school, however; so he should be able to provide at least a few pointers.
As for Simmons, he and James have been compared frequently and to be fair, those comparisons have not been completely off base. There's certainly a concern that James could stifle Simmons' development, but then again, the latter could just use this opportunity to learn from one of the best to ever play the game.
For what it's worth, the 76ers are reportedly very interested in the idea of signing James, with Philly.com's Keith Pompey reporting that the franchise is "prepared to do whatever it takes" to add him to the roster.
Right now, James is still focused on helping the Cavaliers make the NBA Finals, but in a few months, he will be pondering where he wants to play next season.
Of all the possible options on the table, James heading to the 76ers could be the worst one for the Cavaliers since those teams reside in the same conference.
With James on that team, other Eastern Conference squads may find that the path to the Finals has been blocked again by the man they call King and his highly talented teammates.
Just as the Cavaliers rapidly rose to contender status with James on the roster, they could become a nonfactor just as quickly if the multi-time league MVP heads to Philadelphia.
