The Philadelphia 76ers were not a serious consideration for LeBron James early in his free agency process, according to his longtime agent, Rich Paul, who said the team's blockbuster trade for Jaylen Brown fundamentally changed the direction of James's decision.

Paul, appearing on the Game Over podcast, said Philadelphia was not on James's radar as a realistic destination before the team acquired Brown. "We never heard from the Sixers because the Sixers never really thought there was even a chance," Paul said. "I talked about why. We talked about other things. Obviously, I talk to Tyrese all the time. No, we never even thought there was a chance."

According to Paul, his early contact with the organization centered on general conversations about basketball philosophy and team-building rather than any specific interest in signing James. "We started having conversations about basketball itself, how things can play out and what it actually takes to win," Paul said. "Not to get into everything, but there were several conversations, and as you know, all these decisions are layered."

The dynamic shifted once Philadelphia completed its trade for Brown, a move that significantly upgraded the roster around All-Star guard Tyrese Maxey and gave the 76ers a credible case as a championship contender. That........

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