Philadelphia’s championship swing may be getting even bigger. This is scary if there’s any truth to it.
The word on the street which we have not verified is Dallas Mavericks are finalizing a buyout with Klay Thompson, clearing a path for the four-time NBA champion to potentially join the 76ers once he passes through waivers.
For a Philadelphia roster already loaded with star power, Thompson would bring another proven shooter and postseason veteran into what has quickly become one of the NBA’s most ambitious title pushes.
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In case you missed it, the Sixers’ overhaul accelerated when LeBron James stunned the league by signing a two-year, $8 million veteran’s minimum deal. James called the move his “last decision,” leaving the Lakers at 41 years old and taking a massive pay cut from his previous $53 million salary to give Philadelphia additional flexibility.
That decision came after Sixers president of basketball operations Mike Gansey engineered a blockbuster July 1 deal sending Paul George out and bringing Jaylen Brown and four draft picks to Philadelphia.
Head coach Nick Nurse now plans to use James as a de facto point guard alongside Tyrese Maxey, Brown, VJ Edgecombe and Joel Embiid. Adding Thompson would give that group another floor spacer who understands exactly what championship basketball looks like.
The stakes surrounding James are historic. A championship in Philadelphia would make him the first player in NBA history to win titles with four different franchises after previously reaching the mountaintop with Miami, Cleveland and Los Angeles.
Elsewhere, the veteran market remains active. DeMar DeRozan has drawn interest from Miami, Denver, Cleveland and Washington, while Jonathan Kuminga’s free agency remains stalled as he seeks more than the two-year, $20 million range discussed with the Lakers.
Philadelphia, meanwhile, appears determined to keep adding.
