Why LeBron Is 'Seriously' Eyeing 76ers Explained by Windhorst amid Latest NBA Free-Agency Rumors

ESPN's Brian Windhorst feels it's Tyrese Maxey, not Jaylen Brown, who would serve as the main draw for LeBron James should he choose to sign with the Philadelphia 76ers in free agency.

"A big factor here is Tyrese Maxey," Windhorst said Thursday on ESPN's Get Up. "I know that so much of the focus is on Jaylen Brown because that's how Philly got into this conversation; they traded for Jaylen Brown last week.

"But the reason I think he's seriously looking at Philadelphia is because of Tyrese Maxey, and that connection is with Klutch Sports, his agency that he is basically a core founder of alongside Rich Paul. It's the Tyrese Maxey connection that draws him in."

Winhorst continued: "That was the same thing with Anthony Davis that got Anthony Davis to the Lakers and the reason that LeBron would have interest in playing with Anthony Davis if he were traded to the Golden State Warriors in the coming days. And this is not just a Klutch Sports thing, all of the top-level agencies would have their clients work together.

"But this is a Tyrese Maxey thing, you would really want Tyrese Maxey sitting next to Bob Myers making the pitch and I'm sure he has."

ESPN's Shams Charania said in a Tuesday conversation with Stephen A. Smith the Sixers were "not in the picture" for James before the team acquired Brown.

"When the Sixers got Jaylen Brown, I did some research and found within 24 hours he's taking their pitch really seriously," Charania said Tuesday.

James has both shared support of Brown since his trade from the Boston Celtics to the Sixers and previously praised Maxey as both a person and player. In a January episode of his Mind the Game podcast, James described Maxey as one of the NBA's best point guards.

Charania said Tuesday he saw the free agency race for James as a "hierarchy" led by the Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat ahead of the 76ers. The Sixers could be hoping having both Maxey and Brown in the rotation will help tip the scales in their favor this offseason.