NBA Rumors: Former Cavaliers GM Thinks 76ers Have Advantage For LeBron James
LeBron James is in the middle of a battle with the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals, but that has not stopped rumors from flying about his upcoming free agency. Multiple teams have been mentioned as potential landing spots for James, but the Cleveland Cavaliers and Philadelphia 76ers have taken over the majority of those rumors.
As free agency continues to draw closer, former Cavaliers general manager David Griffin chimed in on his thoughts about James’ free agency. He believes that the 76ers have a bit of an advantage over the rest of the field to sign James, according to a report from CBS Sports.
He noted that Rich Paul being Ben Simmons’ agent will help the 76ers. As most will know, Paul is the agent for James as well.
“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. I think it will give him the best opportunity to have a little bit of both (winning and family).”
Griffin has also been mentioned as a potential candidate for the 76ers’ general manager position if the team decides to move on from Bryan Colangelo, who is currently dealing with a burner account scandal.
Philadelphia has been listed as a serious threat to the Cavaliers for James since the beginning of the year. They have put together an impressive young core through the draft and made a run to the second round of the Eastern Conference Playoffs this season before falling to the Boston Celtics.
Former Cavs GM David Griffin says that the 76ers have a "leg up" in signing LeBron James this summer: https://t.co/HxZhzju3Zm (h/t @CBSSports) pic.twitter.com/SOzx84quf0
— SLAM (@SLAMonline) June 3, 2018
Even at 34-years-old, James has taken his game to a new level this season, especially in the postseason. He has shown no signs of slowing down and would immediately make the 76ers the favorites in the Eastern Conference should they end up landing him.
During the regular season, James averaged 27.5 points, 9.1 assists, and 8.6 rebounds per game. In the playoffs, however, he has taken those averages to 34.9 points per game to go along with 9.2 rebounds and 8.7 assists. Adding those numbers to an already dangerous 76ers’ roster would be intriguing, to say the least.
All of that being said, James is going to be the talk of the NBA offseason. There are other big names on the market, but whoever lands James will be the winner of free agency regardless of the other moves.
Philadelphia has their hands full trying to convince James to leave Cleveland for the second time in his career, but Griffin obviously believes that the 76ers have a very good chance to sign “The King.”
