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Philadelphia 76ers: How LeBron’s decision impacts the Sixers’ rebuild

By Dante Nelson

BOSTON, MA - JANUARY 18: Ben Simmons #25 and Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers walk off the court during a time out in the second half against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden on January 18, 2018 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Tim Bradbury/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA - JANUARY 18: Ben Simmons #25 and Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers walk off the court during a time out in the second half against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden on January 18, 2018 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Tim Bradbury/Getty Images) /
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In case you haven’t heard, LeBron James has decided to join the Los Angeles Lakers on a four year contract. With his decision, now there’s a domino effect going on throughout the league. Today, we’ll talk about how his decision impacts a team that was in the running: The Philadelphia 76ers.

The Philadelphia 76ers were consistently placed in the top four places where LeBron James would land, along with theLos Angeles Lakers, Houston Rockets, and Cleveland Cavaliers. The Sixers started The Process for the sake of being in position to even have the floor with the likes of LeBron and other stars of the league (apparently Paul George wasn’t talking to anyone).

Throughout the season, I and my fellow Sixers fans went back and forth. These were the most common thoughts:

  • He has to come to complete The Process
  • The Process was not about him, it’s about Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons.
  • We don’t need LeBron. Period.
  • We could use him, but it’s not the end of the world if we don’t get him.

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Well, that’s what I’m going to talk about today. Where do the Sixers go from here? Was The Process a failure?

Let me start off by saying I most agree with the last point on that list. It would’ve been nice to secure LeBron, but him not coming here doesn’t mean the end. The Process was not a waste of time. Let’s really think about this. Two seasons ago, the Sixers barely finished ahead of their own record for most losses in a season. They only had 10 wins. Are you kidding me? To make it to over 50 wins in that short amount of time is excellent.

Factor in that the stars who led the charge were not healthy during that two year span. Once they were healthy, as we saw this past season, they were able to meet the expectations set on them by us as fans as well as media.

The Sixers being in position to entice multiple stars in the league was what The Process was all about. The Sixers, thanks to Sam Hinkie, grabbed a bunch of young talent and put the Sixers in a place where they could do one of the following:

  • Keep the players and have them grow into stars
  • Flip the young players for current stars
  • Combination of having young stars and signing/trading for older stars

This offseason is really the first time they really weren’t after a young prospect. They were after something else. Not necessarily better. Just different.

So, we have to address it, because it’s possible it played a role. The Bryan Colangelo thing. Sigh. Here’s the thing: There will be folks saying that how the entire saga was handled could have driven LeBron away.

Personally, I actually don’t think that played a factor. The Sixers ultimately made the right move. What I do think could have POSSIBLY played a role is the fact that the Sixers’ leadership pretty much is nonexistent. There’s probably no real vision for the team in place between ownership, who don’t really know what they’re doing, and a coach just turned GM but temporarily. I mean, who pitched to LeBron? What did they tell him?

Plus, what if a GM comes in that LeBron doesn’t like? The GM might make moves that just don’t work. Ultimately, LeBron would be signing with a team without knowing who his boss is. I’m not sure many players would be willing to do that easily.

Like I said, I don’t know how much of the Philadelphia 76ers’ current leadership status impacted his decision. We may never know. Maybe we shouldn’t know.

Moving forward, the Sixers still have a bunch of cap space. They could wait another year if they wanted to. Perhaps sign a bunch of players on money friendly deals. They could do another mega contract like J.J. Reddick.

You have to also remember that they have two soon to be top 10-15 players in the league (Embiid might be in there already). They are a combined three seasons experience and are already close (Simmons) or are stars (Embiid) in the league. The Sixers don’t have to sign anyone, honestly. That money can be extension money for their growing stars. Use the money to flesh out the roster.

Quite frankly, the Sixers can just continue what they are doing. Keep making smart moves to stay competitive and have financial flexibility. I don’t see anything changing because the Sixers were playing well.

Honestly, it’s all because of Simmons and Embiid. If this was the Wizards or Raptors, I’d be sick. Those teams aren’t moving anywhere. They’ve already hit their ceiling. They are what they are. I bet the Boston Celtics feel the same way as the Sixers. LeBron would’ve been nice, but we’re alright. And now, with LeBron out of the East, it’s all up for grabs and the Sixers and Celtics are poised to meet in the Conference Finals.

Must Read: NBA Rumors: 3 teams that could use Dwight Howard in 2018

So yeah, I think the Sixers are fine. Of course you want one of the greatest players of all time on your team, but losing out on him, especially at his age, is not the end of the world. Not even close for the Philadelphia 76ers.