NBA Rumors: 76ers Made Trade Calls on LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, Beal

Philadelphia 76ers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey reportedly inquired about the availability of multiple superstar players prior to last week's NBA trade deadline.

According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski and Ramona Shelburne, Morey reached out to the Los Angeles Lakers to ask about LeBron James, and he also checked in with the Phoenix Suns on Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal.

Not surprisingly, both the Lakers and Suns turned Morey away, as they are looking to contend in the Western Conference and potentially vie for a championship.

Per Wojnarowski and Shelburne, the impetus behind Morey asking about James may have been a cryptic tweet LeBron posted on X on Jan. 31:

The tweet was simply an hourglass emoji with no further context, and when James was asked to clarify what it meant in subsequent interviews, he declined to do so.

There was speculation that James was perhaps angling for a trade or is planning to decline his player option during the offseason and become a free agent, but the Lakers reportedly had no interest in moving him regardless.

According to Wojnarowski and Shelburne, Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka immediately turned Morey down and turned the tables by asking Morey if superstar center and reigning NBA MVP Joel Embiid was available, which ended their conversation.

The 76ers reportedly weren't the only team to inquire about James, as Golden State Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. called the Lakers as well, but to no avail.

At 29-26, the Lakers are only in ninth place in the Western Conference, but they reached the Western Conference Finals last season despite having to go through the postseason play-in tournament, so there is likely belief within the organization that they can go on another deep run this year with James and Anthony Davis leading the way.

When Morey was stonewalled on LeBron, he reportedly turned his attention to the Suns and asked about Durant. When the Suns expressed no interest in trading KD, he inquired about Booker and Beal as well, but Phoenix didn't budge.

The Suns are trending toward their fourth consecutive playoff appearance, and they have made it clear in recent years that they are all-in on trying to win a championship.

Since losing to the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2021 NBA Finals, the Suns have reshaped their roster, acquiring Durant from the Brooklyn Nets last season and Beal from the Washington Wizards during this past offseason.

The 32-22 Suns are fifth in the Western Conference, and like the Lakers, they likely feel as though they have the pieces needed to vie for a championship.

Morey's reported aggressiveness isn't surprising considering the tough spot the Sixers find themselves in.

Although they are a solid fifth in the Eastern Conference with a 32-21 record, Embiid is out with a knee injury and there is uncertainty regarding whether he will be able to return this season.

Philly's championship hopes for this season are likely dashed if Embiid doesn't come back, which is probably why Morey was looking for contingency plans and players to potentially pair with All-Star guard Tyrese Maxey.

Although Morey was unable to add a superstar, the Sixers were busy at the deadline, acquiring sharpshooting wing Buddy Hield from the Indiana Pacers in a three-way deal, trading guard Patrick Beverley to the Bucks for guard Cameron Payne and signing veteran guard Kyle Lowry after he was waived.

That likely won't be enough to get the Sixers past the likes of the Boston Celtics and Bucks if Embiid doesn't return, but it wasn't for a lack of trying on Morey's part.