LeBron James Attracts 76ers Inquiry as Warriors Remain in Mix
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The Philadelphia 76ers have entered the pursuit of free-agent forward LeBron James, ESPN’s Shams Charania said Thursday during a television appearance. The report follows The Athletic’s earlier note that Philadelphia expressed interest soon after completing a trade for Jaylen Brown and reaching a free-agent deal with guard Anfernee Simons.
Charania added that league sources continue to view Cleveland, Golden State and Miami as the most logical destinations for the NBA’s all-time scoring leader, though Philadelphia has emerged as a late contender. James, 41, informed the Lakers on Tuesday that he will not return for a ninth season in Los Angeles.
Warriors Not Necessarily James’s First Choice
Anthony Slater of ESPN reported that the Golden State Warriors have been told they remain on James’s short list, yet the organization believes it may not be sitting atop that list.
Antetokounmpo Extension Dispute
On his podcast, The Ringer’s Bill Simmons stated that the Milwaukee Bucks shipped Giannis Antetokounmpo to the Miami Heat instead of the Boston Celtics because Boston was willing to offer only a two-year extension at 30 percent of the salary cap, rather than a three-year maximum at 35 percent. A source told Noa Dalzell of CelticsBlog that Boston was prepared to deliver the full max contract Antetokounmpo wanted.
Eason Unsure About New Deal
Houston Rockets forward Tari Eason signaled mixed feelings about his five-year, $81.5 million agreement as a restricted free agent, tweeting “I guess bruh 🤷♂️” roughly an hour before the deal became public. Talks on an extension last October reportedly stalled despite a Houston offer exceeding $100 million in total value. Charania reported Thursday that Eason’s new contract includes more guaranteed money than the proposal made in the fall.
Timberwolves Tried for Kenrich Williams
Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News and Skor North said the Minnesota Timberwolves made an unsuccessful push to lure forward Kenrich Williams away from the Oklahoma City Thunder. Williams, who became an unrestricted free agent when his $7.2 million team option was declined, chose to re-sign with Oklahoma City on a one-year, $5 million contract. Minnesota now faces a vacancy at power forward following agreements to trade Julius Randle and Naz Reid.
Source: Hoops Rumors
