There have been multiple rumblings over the past few years regarding the possibility of LeBron James and Stephen Curry teaming up as NBA players one day.
Though the Golden State Warriors tried to make that happen, James ultimately chose to extend his career and chase his fifth championship with the Philadelphia 76ers — joining a stacked team featuring Tyrese Maxey, Jaylen Brown, Joel Embiid and VJ Edgecombe.
While Curry appears committed to staying put with the Warriors, the Sixers could provide him the opportunity to add a fifth ring to his finger as well.
For Philadelphia to bring the best 3-point shooter of all time to its city, it may need to part with Maxey to get a deal done.
In a different timeline, that would be a no-brainer. However, Maxey is 13 years younger than Curry and has his best basketball in front of him, whereas Curry is much closer to wrapping up his generational career.
The question the Sixers would essentially need to answer is if they feel it's worth it to go all in on the short window they have with James and hope Curry’s experience of getting it done in the playoffs is enough to get them over the hump in a winnable Eastern Conference or maintain the flexibility Maxey gives them in a post-LeBron world.
Ticket and merchandise sales would go through the roof in Philly and a lot of bandwagon fans would start repping the Sixers hard if they managed to pair Bron up with Steph.
On the court, Curry would also alleviate some of the current usage concerns of the Sixers’ starting lineup, as each of them requires the ball to be in their hands to play their best brand of basketball.
Curry’s off-ball movement and knack for maneuvering around screens would give James an easy option to kick out to whenever James attacks the rim with a head full of steam or Embiid naturally draws multiple bodies inside. Curry’s deep range itself will also stretch defenses out all the way to the halfcourt line, opening up more driving lanes for the entire lineup.
The thought of James and Curry teaming up in the City of Brotherly Love is an attractive one, but it would essentially put all of the pressure on the organization to win a championship within the next two seasons.
With that said, Maxey’s blazing speed and ability to score at all three levels are a much better long-term fit for this roster, as his shooting percentages should only increase with James now there to set him up for cleaner looks.
