So any Sixers fan with the slightest hint of a moral compass can breathe a sigh of relief.
It was reported earlier today by Matt Moore, also known as HPBasketball on X, that the Sixers could potentially be linked to free agent Miles Bridges.
“They’ve been linked to [Paul] George for months, with speculation only increasing after George appeared on ESPN’s pre-game show with [Joel] Embiid. So, George and [Jimmy] Butler are the two high-profile names. The Sixers are also expected to have interest in Charlotte Hornets forward Miles Bridges.”
As a member of the Charlotte Hornets, Bridges averaged 21 points per game last season along with 7.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists.
More importantly, Bridges pled no contest to a domestic violence charge on Nov. 3, 2022 stemming from an incident the previous summer. After sitting out the entire 2022-23 season, Bridges was arrested again in October of 2023 for violating his parole.
His status as a cheap reclamation project does fit the bill of a player Sixers’ president of basketball operations Daryl Morey would be interested.
Liberty Ballers’ own Paul Hudrick threw cold water on that report, however. Hudrick said that “a source familiar with the team’s thinking says they are not expected to pursue Bridges.”
There’s been some recent reporting linking the Sixers to Miles Bridges. A source familiar with the team’s thinking says they are not expected to pursue Bridges.
Any team that brings in a player with such a troubled past will need to answer a lot of questions to their fanbase. At least it looks like that won’t be the Sixers’ problem.
That’s a wrap on the NBA Season, and the dreaded Boston Celtics fans get to party in the streets for the 13th time since 1957.
If the Sixers want to beat a team with as much top-end firepower as the team that Danny Ainge (now with the Jazz, although he did most of the heavy lifting here), Mike Zarren and current President Brad Stevens have built, they’re going to need major reinforcements.
The name at the top of Daryl Morey’s wishlist is Clippers’ star Paul George. PG has a player option for the coming season worth $48.7M.
But we heard reports earlier this season that Steve Ballmer, by far the NBA’s richest owner worth an estimated $129.7B, was hesitant to allow his front office to offer PG more money than Kawhi Leonard on a potential extension.
Leonard, the two-time NBA Finals MVP, is the Clippers best player when healthy. But as Sixers fans know all too well, that “when healthy” distinction is kind of a big asterisk. PG, now 34, isn’t exactly an exemplar of perfect health himself, but he was the safer bet than Leonard to be healthy by playoff time. And he seems like the safer bet for the next three-four seasons as well.
On ESPN’s “Get UP” Monday, insider Brian Windhorst speculated on the latest from Clipperville:
“What is interesting to me is that is that the Clippers are very aware that somebody is going to offer [George] a four-year max contract. Whether that’s the 76ers or the Magic or a team could even trade for him. But there’s another thing with Paul George that I want to point out. He has an option in his contract. It’s known as ‘The Chris Paul Move.’ Where you come to a team and say ‘I’m either going to sign with this team over here, or you’re gonna pick up my option and trade me there.’ So even if you don’t have cap space, a team for example, like the New York Knicks. Okay, if they wanted Paul George they could say ‘okay, you could come to us, we’ll trade for you.’ You don’t have to sign him outright. Clippers know all this is gonna go on. And yet they’re still not making this offer. They’re still not [inaudible] to do this. And so if you get to July 1st, and the Clippers have done this, they’re gonna play hardball, that’s when you know he’s truly gonna be in the market. I suspect the Clippers read, at least on June 17th, is that they’re calling his bluff. They don’t actually think he’s gonna leave his hometown of L.A. to go to Philly or Orlando or some thing like that.”
This stalemate would seem to have begun back in January.
The Clippers essentially drew a line in the sand implying PG wasn’t deserving of what Kawhi was (three years, $152M) received last January, offering him less on an extension. PG wisely scoffed at the insulting, paltry bid. Now that miscalculation may bite them.
If George opts out, he is eligible to sign a four-year deal (the NBA’s “Over 38” rule forbids teams from offering him a fifth year) max deal worth up to roughly $221.1M. Possessing George’s Bird Rights, the Clips can offer the nine-time All-Star 8 percent raises, while all other teams can only offer 5 percent raises.
That means the Sixers can “only” offer George $212.5M over the same deal. Still, it’s only an $8.6M difference.
As one might expect in any ongoing negotiation, the PG-to-Philly barometer has swung a few times lately. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski back in May reported that, “The Clippers are determined to keep Paul George and James Harden in free agency, and the organization will move into the new, state-of-the-art Intuit Dome for the start of next season.”
But Windy is, more recently at least, singing a different tune.
Examining that Chris Paul opt-in-and-trade scenario (the kind Daryl Morey, while in Houston, once famously executed to rescue Chris Paul from Doc Rivers the Clips), with an expanding salary cap, it does seem PG could make more money long-term by opting in.
But he’d have to wait six months, and if any player knows that catastrophic injuries can occur, it’s PG, who broke his leg in multiple places back in 2014 during USA Team play.
If I were deciding between $212M today or waiting I’m not sure I’d want to risk playing from November through January for the additional ~$12M. Additionally, PG could learn the “Carmelo Anthony” lesson, and try to avoid depleting whichever new team he wants to play for of precious draft assets they’d need later to beat the Celtics.
So the best news here is that it appears the Clippers are still playing hardball with George. They’ve done nothing to suggest thus far that they feel he’s worth every penny of a max deal. As stellar as the quintessential triple-threat-3-and-D wing has been, with a new arena set to open, deciding he couldn’t make as much as Leonard, now trying to catch a bluff? It’s all pretty weird. Imagine how Kawhi would feel if they wound up letting him walk for nothing in return?
Is there any chance they’re pulling a bit of a 2023 version of the Morey-with-Harden, and sending these silent signals in hopes he opts in, so that they can make a blockbuster move? Unlike Beard, PG has max offers elsewhere tempting him not to do that.
The less good news for the Sixers here is this idea that PG could ultimately make more money by opting in, which could give him incentive to listen to pitches from contenders without cap space. Yuck.
The Sixers can spend up to $65M in cap. But if other teams can trade for him — with plans to extend him come January for even more than the max he’ll command in July — well, you can see the problem there. Miami? Cleveland? New York?
George, a CAA client shares an agent with Knicks’ star Jalen Brunson. The Knicks have been linked to PG in some reports too.
If PG felt Brunson is a safer bet than Embiid to be healthy come next year’s playoffs… maybe that throws a monkeywrench in the works for Morey — even if things fall apart with PG and the Clips.
But let’s focus on the good news for today. The Clippers appear to think that PG won’t leave, they certainly aren’t rolling out any red carpets like Morey is, and are perhaps “calling a bluff.” That would, I’d argue, mark the second time they’ve insulted him in five months. First, by deciding he’s not worth what Leonard was last January, and again now, knowing that other teams are prepared to drop a full stack, while they quibble over an amount that equates to about 0.17% of Ballmer’s total net worth.
With the 2024 NBA Draft rapidly approaching, more offseason dates have begun to be finalized. The Utah Jazz announced today their schedule for the three-day summer league that will take place in the Delta Center in Salt Lake City.
The Sixers, who have become regulars in the Utah summer session, are one of four teams that will participate from July 8-10. They’ll kick things off against the Oklahoma City Thunder on July 8, then take on the Memphis Grizzlies on the 9th, and will wrap things up against the Jazz on the 10th.
Since they began participating in it back in 2016, the Utah summer league is a bit of an appetizer for the Vegas summer league, in which all 30 teams participate in a tournament.
The Sixers still have some time to fill out their summer league roster with the draft set to take place next week. It’s likely Terquavion Smith and Ricky Council IV will be out there based off of Daryl Morey’s exit interview comments. Only time will tell if the No. 16 and No. 41 overall picks will be joining them for Philly’s summer session.
A few weeks into last summer’s James Harden Trade Demand saga, Sixers president Daryl Morey went on the Anthony Gargano Show and revealed his long-term plan.
“What we’re attempting to do is have the best team possible this year, but also have the ability that, if we get into a next-season situation, to be a very unique team with the most cap room of a team that’s as good as us,” he said. “That’s a very unique situation to have.”
The Sixers now have the ability to create nearly $65 million in cap space this summer, which puts them in the neighborhood of the Detroit Pistons for the league lead. The Pistons certainly do not have an established MVP and a first-time All-Star as their top two players at the moment, so Morey is technically correct in that regard.
However, the Sixers aren’t the only playoff team with that type of flexibility this offseason. The Orlando Magic and Oklahoma City Thunder both aren’t far behind. And those two wouldn’t be the Sixers’ only threats for any stars that do become available.
Cole Anthony is Orlando’s highest-paid player under guaranteed contract next year at $12.9 million, as Jonathan Isaac’s $17.4 million contract is fully non-guaranteed until Jan. 10. Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs both become extension-eligible this summer, and Paolo Banchero will follow next offseason, so the Magic won’t have cap space for long. But they have the ability to carve out more than $65 million in spending power this year.
The Thunder can’t quite meet those same heights. They can create up to $37.8 million in cap space at most, barring any trades. Still, they’re fresh off a Western Conference-leading 57-win season and an appearance in the conference semifinals. With Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams all under contract for at least the next two years, there’s no better time for them to strike than now.
Unlike the Sixers, who enter the offseason with virtually no one under contract, the Magic and Thunder could each offer young fliers to sweeten sign-and-trade offers as well. Josh Giddey’s stock took a beating this season, especially in the playoffs, but he could be a second-draft candidate who thrives in a more ball-dominant situation elsewhere. Cole Anthony, Jett Howard and Anthony Black should all have at least some modicum of trade value, too.
All things being equal, win-now veterans would likely prefer to join Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey than Banchero and Wagner, and OKC can’t carve out max cap space. That should still put the Sixers in the lead for Paul George, LeBron James or any other star that decides to leave their team in free agency this summer.
However, some of the Sixers’ top targets aren’t even guaranteed to become free agents. They could pick up the player options in their respective contracts, which would widen their list of potential destinations thanks to the NBA’s new collective bargaining agreement.
Teams over the first apron—projected to be $178.7 million in 2024-25—can’t acquire players via sign-and-trade. Among others, the Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat, Milwaukee Bucks, Denver Nuggets, Boston Celtics and Phoenix Suns all project to be over either the first or second apron next year, which would take them out of the running for any sign-and-trades unless they shed a significant amount of salary.
Anyone who picks up their player option rather than becoming a free agent wouldn’t have to worry about that. They’d just be subject to the league’s normal trade rules, which are far less restrictive for teams below both aprons. Teams above either apron aren’t allowed to take back more salary in a trade than they send out, and teams above the second apron can’t aggregate contracts in trades either. Meanwhile, teams below both aprons can take back 125 percent of the salary they send out plus $250,000 as long as they send out at least $29 million in salary.
Take Paul George, for instance. The Sixers’ Plan A, per Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer. The Sixers and Magic could both afford to sign him to a max contract in free agency, although they wouldn’t be left with much cap space with which to round out their roster. Instead, George could pick up his player option and force his way to a specific destination via trade by threatening to leave the Clippers empty-handed in free agency if they didn’t comply.
That isn’t just baseless speculation, either. ESPN’s Brian Windhorst suggested that as a legitimate possibility during a recent appearance on the Pat McAfee Show.
All of this is to say: It is far more likely than not that the Sixers will whiff on signing either George or James in free agency. That doesn’t mean that they’ll be doomed or that the cap-space plan was a mistake from the start, but it means Morey and the Sixers front office might have to get creative.
“I think the actual big transactions this summer will be trades,” Windhorst added on McAfee. “Teams taking on salary in trades. Philly, potentially, if they don’t get Paul George, try to trade for guys into their cap space.”
Brandon Ingram and Zach LaVine may be the more realistic high-end targets available to the Sixers this offseason. Whether they acquire either one will likely come down to asking price and offers from other teams. And if they strike out on all of their top options, Morey plans to sign players to shorter-term deals to maintain his flexibility for the next star that hits the market.
“The main mistake that could be made—that we won’t make—is if some of the better options don’t go our way,” Morey said at his end-of-season press conference. “Trade into our cap space, free agents, turn our draft picks into things. If all of those things don’t yield what we want, we are definitely not going to just sign for a lot of money some player who’s just an OK player. That’s not happening. Because that will be where we can’t continue to build a contender around Joel and Tyrese. In those scenarios, we’ll be doing shorter deals and then using our draft picks to set ourselves up for trades or set ourselves up for the next opportunity when it comes.”
That’s all well and good, but it’s clear that the Sixers plan to go star-hunting this summer. Morey telegraphed it during his end-of-season presser, and reporting since then has confirmed it.
”Philadelphia, according to league sources, views its opportunity this summer as something just shy of Golden State’s rare opening to sign Durant as a free agent without the league’s cap smoothing in 2016,” Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports reported in late May. “Teams with an MVP and an All-Star can’t typically afford to sign a maximum-salary third banana into room, while holding other avenues to spend and mid-level levers to pull, plus a cupboard of draft picks. The penalties baked into the NBA’s new collective bargaining agreement are almost designed to dissuade that exact coalition.”
The Durant signing led the Warriors to win two straight championships and make it to a third straight Finals before Durant and Klay Thompson both suffered major leg injuries. The Sixers would be lucky to make a single Finals thanks to whatever they do this offseason. It’s clear that they’re aiming high, though, which means they’re setting themselves up for criticism and setting fans up for disappointment if they come up short.
Unless otherwise noted, all stats via NBA.com, PBPStats, Cleaning the Glass or Basketball Reference. All salary information via Spotrac and salary-cap information via RealGM.
Before the 2024 NBA Draft, we’ll take an in-depth look at different prospects here at Liberty Ballers and try to figure out which players would be the best fit for the Sixers at Nos. 16 and 41. Next up in this series is Weber State’s Dillon Jones.
Dillon Jones was a dominant force in the Big Sky, taking home the conference’s Player of the Year award in 2023-24. His usage rate and overall efficiency improved in all four of his collegiate seasons at Weber State. His versatility makes him one of the most unique prospects in this year’s draft.
Jones is built like a tank and appears ready for the NBA from a physicality standpoint. What’s impressive is how smooth he is with the ball in his hands at that size. He possesses a strong handle and wide-ranging bag. He’s able to finish through and around defenders while looking mighty comfortable pulling up in the midrange. He’s a below-the-rim player, but has a quick first step which showed when he crushed the shuttle run at the combine. While he didn’t shoot it well from three, his success inside the arc and elite free throwing shooting make him a projectable threat to stretch the floor.
He will certainly be able to handle guarding bigger forwards thanks to his sturdy frame and 6-11 wingspan. He showed excellent off-ball instincts, recording two steals a game last season. He’s also an outstanding rebounder, averaging double-digit boards in two of his four seasons.
Weaknesses
As mentioned, Jones is not an elite athlete. While he might have enough craftiness and skill to overcome that on the offensive end, it might be tough for him to hang with quicker wings and guards. And while his shot from deep is projectable, it’s just that — a projection. The 32.4% from three he hit last season was easily a career high.
The bigger issue with evaluating Jones is going to be the level of competition he played against. Once upon a time, Damian Lillard starred at Weber State, became a top-10 pick and is now a future Hall of Famer. Outside of Lillard, there aren’t really any success stories out of that school.
Positional Fit
Jones will likely be a combo forward at the next level, but a very unique one. If he can improve his shot and guard smaller players, he has the makings of an extremely versatile player on both ends of the floor.
Draft Projection
Second round
Jones is fascinating player. I’d be leery of the small school factor, but he is just good at basketball. Players that can dribble, shoot and pass at that size don’t grow on trees. His long wingspan could help him overcome some of the athletic deficiencies at the next level. He feels like a player that could fit on just about any team, including the Sixers — if he can make threes consistently.
Philadelphia 76ers’ guard Cam Payne, due to become a free agent on the evening of June 30, was arrested early Friday morning in Scottsdale, Arizona according to a report from TMZ. The charges included refusal to provide truthful identification and providing a false report to law enforcement.
According to the Scottsdale Police Department, authorities were called out to investigate a disturbance in Scottsdale at around 2:44 AM — and came into contact with Payne and another individual.
It’s unclear exactly what happened next — cops did not give any further specific details — although the SPD says Payne was arrested on the scene and booked on one charge of refusal to provide a truthful name and one count of false report to law enforcement.
We’re told the 29-year-old NBA player was released from custody a short time later.
That’s the only information available about the incident at this time, but we will keep you posted when (if) more details become available.
Payne joined the Sixers in early February via a trade with the Milwaukee Bucks. For Payne and the Bucks’ 2027 second-round pick, the 76ers traded Patrick Beverley to Milwaukee. In 31 games for Philadelphia this season, Payne averaged 9.3 points per game, shooting 41.3% from the field and 38.2% from three on 4.4 attempts per game.
Payne will become a free agent at the end of this month.
“I always believed that if we only have this one life, then let’s experiment with it.”
-David Bowie, told to TeleGraph, 1996
I think if you ask most fans, they’d still agree that Michael Jordan, possessing six championship rings, is The Greatest of All Time.
LeBron James has been squarely in the conversation ever since he won his fourth title with the Lakers in the bubble. And there are plenty of experts and fans who’d take The King over His Airness outright. But unless the NBA’s all-time season-scoring leader wins a fifth ring (which would tie the Akron native with names like Tim Duncan, Kobe Bryant and Magic Johnson), I’m not sure that he’ll convince enough people that he’s THE best to ever lace ’em up. One more ring would win over another wave. Two more might just put the whole thing to bed.
Hearing MJ talk over the years, one of El GOAT’s biggest regrets has been the 1997 Bulls management blowing up a dynasty, preparing for the future beyond MJ’s career, saving a few bucks. Jordan wanted a seventh, perhaps somehow knowing he’d one day be competing with players better than any he’d actually gotten the chance to face on a court.
So what’s LeBron’s mindset heading into year 22? One more ring in L.A. and a local might ask “so was he better than Shaq, Kareem, Kobe or Magic?” When you have 17 banners this is just what’s expected. But in Philly, where there haven’t been any banners since 1983? Now we’re talking about some true legend shit.
Sun rays, comfort, hope and a prayer
Sure, it might be comfortable for LeBron and his fam to stay in sunny L.A. Sure, LeBron probably has the confidence to convince himself his team with Anthony Davis (a true top-10ish talent when healthy) can win the title in 2025. Meh.
Sure, there’s the pipedream that maybe the Lakers’ 2024, 2029 and 2031 first-round picks along with several of Austin Reaves, Jarred Vanderbilt, Gabe Vincent or Rui Hachimura might land a Jimmy Butler, a Donovan Mitchell or a Brandon Ingram.
But in his heart of kingly hearts, the 20-time All-Star probably does sense his career mortality looming. He probably does understand the Lakers have few paths to land the very big fish they’d need to help him catch Magic let alone Mike.
Alas, the 13-time All-NBA First Teamer could soon become a free agent. But the absence of rumors he might depart, combined with the Lakers already embarrassing offseason, already has fans wondering if he’s not as motivated to win as he once was.
Maybe LeBron can tune them out until the end of the month. But the speculation will only explode assuming he re-signs and begins the twilight of his career mired in mediocrity.
The Philadelphia 76ers (with a true top-six per Bleacher Report’s latest ranking talent when healthy) with Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey (a newcomer to the top 20ish players) have about $65M in cap space.
If LeBron extends with the Lakers he can earn $164.3M. If he opts out and signs with the Sixers he’s looking at $157.5M. Pocket pennies for a dude worth about $1.2B.
And unlike L.A., few here are asking about the Sixers (set to drop a full max on Maxey) what BR’s Eric Pincus asked Tuesday: “are the Lakers just … cheap?
Philadelphia could give King a max, trade up to five first-round picks, still come up with another ~$15Mish in space, plus an $8M exception, all while signing a few of his preferred vets on min deals. They still wouldn’t be as top-heavy or expensive as Boston’s roster is built, they could offer ring-chasing vets a significant playing-role since they’d need cheap depth.
Joel, Maxey, LeBron, KCP, Caruso, Lowry, Batum, Drummond, Bronny, and maybe even Oubre or Hield anyone?
Per Newsweek, DraftKings is already slotting the Sixers in for the seventh-best (+1200, an implied 7.7% chance) odds to win the 2025 championship. LAL is given just the 10th-best odds (+2000, 4.7%), almost half of Philly’s.
If in fact the Lakers and ESPN/Woj were using the Hurley story as a distraction from Redick, leading Woj to then actually want them to hire Hurley, leading them to losing Redick, it is one of the dumbest and greatest sports media stories of all time https://t.co/JjWvrrUjvy
Can you imagine how much higher the Sixers’ title odds would be if LeBron signed in Philly, not LA? Only Boston would have the edge, and with Kristaps Porzingis’ new injuries, I’m not sure it would be an edge at all.
Celtics announce Kristaps Porzingis torn medial retinaculum allowing dislocation of the posterior tibialis tendon in his left leg at 3:27 of the third quarter of Game 2. They say the injury is unrelated to Porzingis’s prior right calf injury.
Yahoo Sports’ Vincent Goodwill recently referred to the LakeShow as a “circus:”
“Some folks around the league feel J.J. Redick won’t want to be involved with this circus, and that he won’t want to be a second choice, but he wants to coach.”
ESPN’s Senior Writer Zach Lowe reminded us that the Lakers are a Play-In team almost every year.
Fans are reasonably trying to suss out how much LeBron cares about winning and the current coaching search.
Does King James just want his podcast buddy JJ Redick to coach? Did he secretly prefer UConn’s Dan Hurley or did Rob Pelinka go against James’ wishes again?
Was it all a leverage ploy by Hurley’s camp? Did the Lakers, known playfully as the league’s “mom and pop shop,” just get too cheap?
Interesting info from @ShamsCharania on the Lakers pursuit of Dan Hurley:
– JJ was their first option from the beginning (weeks ago) – Lakers only recently found out (last week potentially) that Dan Hurley was having contract negotiations with UConn – Lakers jumped the gun and… pic.twitter.com/muOzl5TkNP
Why are we hearing “GM LeBron” — one of the most notoriously involved player/GMs ever — isn’t really involved now? Is his focus divided between hoops Cali business interests?
Hmmm….
Just speculation here but this is the first time this offseason I’ve thought LeBron leaving is on the table. Vibes are in the dirt right now.
The markets, media and fans all smell that LA circus popcorn popping, so why doesn’t James? Is he stubborn? Does he feel loyalty?
Kyrie Irving’s Finals run with the Mavs cannot be sitting well
Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images
If it’s loyalty, he shouldn’t let that sway him. How much resentment might James harbor against his current franchise’s front office for not topping the Dallas Mavericks offer for Irving when they reportedly had the opportunity?
By 2023, James called his former running mate “the most gifted player” in NBA history.
It’s been reported that the Lakers could have bested Dallas’ offer back in 2023. Per ESPN’s Brian Windhorst.
“LeBron wanted the Lakers to trade for Kyrie Irving when he was on the trade block, a couple of different times in ’22 and ’23….The Lakers actually could’ve created the cap space to beat the Mavericks offer last year, but they elected not to.”
As Sam Quinn put it for CBS Sports: “[Dallas’ offer] was an offer the Lakers could have topped, and the Nets demanded that they do so.”
Marc Stein, via Substack, laid out what Brooklyn asked for and L.A. wasn’t willing to offer: “They didn’t just want the two firsts and Russ [Westbrook]. They wanted [Austin] Reaves. They wanted [Max] Christie. They wanted Rui [Hachimura]….”
I know Irving carried more than a bit of baggage, but talent-wise, if you’re not prepared to cash in (two distant future picks, Rui and Reaves, while netting a dumping grounds for Westbrook’s hilariously bad contract) to capitalize on LeBron f—-g James’ prime, you’re doing something wrong.
LeBron sat down with @RealMikeWilbon to share his thoughts on the Lakers not being able to trade for his former teammate Kyrie Irving:
“I can’t sit here and say I’m not disappointed on not being able to land such a talent.” pic.twitter.com/2smRTk3Y0c
James told coaching candidate JJ Redick on their co-hosted Mind the Game pod:
“There was nothing on the basketball floor that Kyrie couldn’t do…. I am so f—ing mad at the same time that I am not his running mate anymore.”
This reminds me… Tom Brady is considered the GOAT of the NFL, right?
NFL star Aaron Rodgers, after a rare down year in 2019, had to watch his Packers’ franchise draft his replacement over some premier offensive weapons in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft. Rodgers was furious and responded by bouncing back and winning back-to back NFL MVP’s in 2020 and 2021.
In the 2020 NFC Championship game, the eventual Super Bowl MVP Brady, threw three interceptions in seven plays, uncharacteristically imploding.
But Joel Embiid’s favorite team at the time, the Packers, simply couldn’t capitalize.
Stud receivers the Pack could have selected like Tee Higgins and Michael Pittman fell to other teams, as Rodgers’ future backup stood uselessly on the sidelines in the Conference Finals. GB lost by five points in an agonizingly winnable home game. Brady went on to win his eighth ring in a route the very next game.
The Bulls underestimated how much MJ had left in the tank. The Pack underestimated how much Rodgers had left in the tank. And the Lakers underestimated both LeBron and Kyrie. All left bullets that would have helped in the clip. All paid the price.
So LeBron shouldn’t feel any undying loyalty or obligation here to the Lakers. They’ve made their bed. He certainly doesn’t have to lie in it.
If we’re just evaluating where LeBron would have a better chance of winning a ring, it’s Philly.
The Sixers have Maxey and the Lakers don’t. The Sixers have Nurse and the Lakers don’t. The Sixers have Morey and the Lakers have Pelinka.
Oh, and the Sixers are in the East. https://t.co/dqliUxdmUa
Yes, Anthony Davis makes an elite star-running mate. His 2020 title run was sensational. But like Embiid, he’s no exemplar of health. If both bigs are risky bets, at least Embiid is better when both are healthy.
If LeBron wants to compete for a ring, AND get a max deal, AND get to play with Bronny, then he should come to the Sixers!!!!! pic.twitter.com/8NNJ3dGbl1
Austin Reaves is good. But he’s certainly no Maxey.
The Sixers could in theory (since they’re not as cheap as L.A.) sign LeBron, then target two role players Bron won a chip with in KCP (an FA) and Bulls’ Alex Caruso (via trade). There would still likely be dollars and picks leftover to retain names like Kyle Lowry, Nico Batum, and even go shopping for cheap help like Andre Drummond or Kevon Looney, or a 2025 version of Oubre, looking to resurrect a career.
That may not be a super team, but it might be.
LeBron averaged over 26 points per 36 eleven times in his career. But during three of his four title-winning campaigns, the King averaged 26 pts/36 or less. Playing alongside Joel and Maxey might approximate some of that Big Three dynamic he enjoyed in Miami and Cleveland. He’d have to keep carrying the show in L.A.
Redick or whoever L.A. hires as coach might be good. But in his first season he certainly won’t be 2019 champ Nick Nurse. This Conference is no cakewalk. But Indiana making the East Finals reminds us how open it is. The West? I don’t know.
In some ways, it feels like LeBron is already #OneOfUs.
It isn’t difficult to sniff out where The King would have his most realistic chance to catch Kobe, if not Jordan.
If I’m LeBron James, I go back East.
It makes more sense.
The West & the Lakers ain’t it when the youth is taking over with OKC, Minnesota, Denver, Dallas, Houston on the rise & Golden State is still gonna be there.
— Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson (@ScoopB) June 10, 2024
Oh right, and all he’d have to do is say the word and Daryl Morey would probably draft his son Bronny James.
Can you even imagine a better storyline than this one:
James won his fifth championship, on his fourth team, delivering a title to every team he’s ever played for, in his 22nd NBA season, while sharing the floor with his soon-to-be-20-year-old son, Bronny James.
#GOAT shit.
If I had LeBron’s confidence, this type of hypothetical might even have me wondering if I could show up in Philly, F-k around and threepeat, topping Jordan’s six rings.
If LeBron wants another ring (as much as MJ would have) then he’d set sail for the Sixers. Rolling the dice on AD’s body holding up isn’t much — if any — safer than betting on Embiid’s.
If James is comfy going out on his own terms, not having to move, padding regular season all-time point stats, scrapping and clawing for the Play-In, then I suspect he’s better off staying put.
But if his own team wasn’t even willing to bet on his remaining window by mortgaging the future for Irving, wouldn’t it make some sense to find a significantly better team that truly believes in him?
Go rewatch “The Last Dance” and tell me MJ would have been content with four rings and some glorious sunshine during his final All-NBA worthy seasons.
One day, far away, someone new will come along and win five rings, and pundits will wonder if this heir apparent is better than James was. And Bron might just regret once opting for the comfy confines of Cali instead of using his remaining prowess to pursue glory alongside Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and his son. Guess we’ll see how badly he wants to be the GOAT in a couple of weeks.
Before the 2024 NBA Draft, we’ll take an in-depth look at different prospects here at Liberty Ballers and try to figure out which players would be the best fit for the Sixers at Nos. 16 and 41. Next up in this series isKansas’ Kevin McCullar.
Kansas’ Kevin McCullar played four seasons with Texas Tech, later transferring to Kansas and playing two seasons with the Jayhawks. McCullar excelled last season, putting up career highs in minutes, three-point percentage, assists and points. Now he’ll have a chance to pop at the next level.
Kevin McCullar spent his five years in college well, dramatically improving as a perimeter scorer with a recent shooting resurgence. McCullar’s three-point percentage doesn’t jump off the page at a lackluster 33.3 percent, but he did take a career-high 4.5 attempts per game and refined his form for the better. His free throw shooting (typically a good indicator of where a prospects shooting is) also crept up into the 80s. McCullar has great offensive IQ, timing his cuts well and finding the defensive weak spots with ease. He thrived as a playmaker with Kansas, rarely turning the ball over and facilitating pick-and-rolls and dribble handoffs. He’s a capable scorer from most areas on the floor, and finished well within the three-point arc. Defensively, he brings intensity, effort and focus as a defender and rebounder. He defends well off-ball and offers some size as a helper at the rim.
Weaknesses
McCullar is one of the older prospects in this draft, which means he’ll likely have a high floor compared to most prospects in his range while also having a limited ceiling. Most causes for concern revolve around his shooting and how real his resurgence was/is. Prior to this year, McCullar failed to shoot above 30 percent in three of his four seasons, averaging a rough 29.8 percent from three in his first four collegiate seasons. Outside of shooting concerns, McCullar doesn’t project to be a dynamic ball hander who can lead an offense. Look for him to play a role similar to Joe Ingles, Nic Batum, Kyle Anderson — someone who can complement the offense and move the ball well, while not being the prime playmaker.
Positional Fit
McCullar’s defensive versatility, length and playmaking ability should allow him to play multiple positions at the next level — most notably at either forward spot. McCullar’s game has shades of Bruce Brown — a defensive-minded forward, that’s capable of slashing to the rim and getting teammates involved with his playmaking ability.
Draft Projection
Late first round, early second
McCullar is one of the more seasoned prospects in this draft, with his floor likely being drafted in the second round as contending teams look for players who can contribute fast. Although, some drafts do have him going in the late first round, where contenders will be looking for players who can provide skills day one.
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