The Philadelphia 76ers didn’t land LeBron James by chance, one blockbuster move changed everything, according to President of Basketball Operations Mike Gansey.
Philadelphia had already turned heads with an aggressive offseason, but the franchise took another major step when it acquired Jaylen Brown from the Boston Celtics.
Gansey admitted that Brown’s arrival became the catalyst for pursuing James.
“I called Rich (Paul) right away and said, ‘Hey, we got Jaylen. Is there a chance LeBron wants to come to us?’ And, obviously, he said, ‘Yeah, this changes some things’. They talked about it, and obviously, this whole process of, whatever, three weeks or whatever it went,” Gansey said speaking during NBC Sports Philadelphia’s broadcast of the Phillies’ game against the Washington Nationals. “They were doing their due diligence with LeBron and talking to all our players and other teams and their representation and stuff. So, it was a long process, but we don’t get LeBron without Jaylen. That’s for sure.”
The Sixers remained patient as James weighed his options over several weeks before eventually agreeing to a two-year contract with Philadelphia.
Gansey’s comments suggest the addition of Brown fundamentally altered the conversation, giving James another proven All-NBA teammate alongside Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey.
Landing Brown alone would have capped off one of the league’s strongest offseasons, but Philadelphia’s front office continued searching for another franchise-altering move. That persistence ultimately resulted in one of the biggest signings of the summer.
James now joins a roster widely expected to compete for an NBA championship immediately.
His versatility gives Philadelphia another elite playmaker capable of running the offense, scoring at all three levels and elevating the players around him.
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