Joel Embiid's Role in LeBron James' 76ers Recruitment Revealed in New NBA Rumors After Decision

Joel Embiid reportedly played an important role in the Philadelphia 76ers' recruitment of LeBron James.

According to Tony Jones of The Athletic, Embiid was a "heavy figure" in the pursuit of James and his involvement lasted throughout the free agency process.

He was far from the only member of the 76ers to recruit the NBA's all-time leading scorer, per ESPN's Shams Charania.

"Tyrese Maxey, Jaylen Brown, Joel Embiid, Nick Nurse the head coach, Mike Gansey, Bob Myers, they all made contact with LeBron James over the last week, to recruit him, to pitch him," Charania reported during an appearance on the Pat McAfee Show (6:30 mark). "He spoke personally to Nick Nurse as well in the last several days."

James signed a two-year contract worth $8 million with the 76ers on Friday, per Charania.

ESPN's Dave McMenamin reported that Gansey, Philadelphia's president of basketball operations who was previously a Cavaliers executive during James' second stint in Cleveland, was in constant communication with the four-time MVP's representatives behind the scenes.

Maxey also led the recruiting effort of James directly, per McMenamin.

As for Embiid, he's already familiar with playing alongside the 22-time All-Star. He was teammates with James on the United States men's national team that won gold at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Embiid and Maxey recently helped the 76ers finish with a 45-37 record last season, advancing to the second round of the playoffs before falling to the New York Knicks.

While injuries limited Embiid to just 38 regular-season appearances, he still averaged 26.9 points and 7.7 rebounds in 31.6 minutes per game. The seven-time All-Star shot 48.9 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from behind the arc.

Philadelphia was already in the midst of a busy offseason before landing James, acquiring Brown in a blockbuster trade with the Boston Celtics on July 1. The 76ers also signed key depth pieces including Anfernee Simons and Dean Wade earlier in free agency.