LeBron James’ agent, Rich Paul, accidentally dropped a bomb on the NBA world Saturday when he confirmed that his client planned to become a free agent this summer.

While many expected James to take this path, Paul’s confirmation really cemented in people’s minds that James departing L.A. was a legitimate possibility.

“LeBron [James] is a free agent.”

Rich Paul speaks on the future of LeBron James 👀

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Back in April, word emerged that the Philadelphia 76ers had very serious interest in adding James to the roster. Most scoffed at the notion.

This week, the idea of James heading to Philly was once again brought up – this time with far more seriousness.

“One uncomplicated element to get out of the way before delving into the particulars: The Sixers have the cash to simply sign James to a max deal,” Bleacher Report’s Grant Hughes wrote.

“No muss, no fuss, no cap-clearing maneuvers. That flexibility sets Philly apart from every other semi-realistic James pursuer, and its possession of an in-prime MVP in Joel Embiid and rising star Tyrese Maxey doesn’t hurt either.”

Hughes didn’t stop there, though.

“A couple of other destinations have clearer ties to James, furthering the surprise factor that’d attend a LeBron-to-Philly move,” Hughes continued.

“Again, James suiting up for literally any team other than the [Los Angeles] Lakers would be a first-class stunner. But the Sixers’ pile cap space, which is being handled by the relentlessly ambitious Daryl Morey, means they cannot be totally counted out.”

On Sunday, Jeffrey McWhorter of the Philadelphia Inquirer confirmed that the Sixers have very real interest in adding James this summer.

“The Sixers do have their eyes on other lucrative-salary impact players just in case they don’t get [Paul] George,” he wrote. “That’s why they also are looking at potential free agents like the Los Angeles Lakers’ LeBron James and New York Knicks forward OG Anunoby.”

The Sixers promise to stay busy this offseason. How will that iNFLuence James’ plans? Time will tell.

Bill Simmons Thinks LeBron James Should Join Clippers

During a recent podcast, Bill Simmons suggested what he believes is a win-win-win-win for James, the Lakers, George and the Los Angeles Clippers.

“Here’s the solution for all of us with Paul George: a double sign-and-trade with the Lakers,” Simmons said.

“LeBron gets to stay in L.A. but he goes to the Clippers to open the new stadium and finish his career there. Paul George gets to finally play with the Lakers after it was blocked by Adam Silver a couple years ago, and finally he gets to be a Laker. And it gets to be him and A.D. (Anthony Davis) and J.J. Redick and we’re off. It’s a new era for the Lakers. Kind of fun.”

One way or another, this summer promises to be a very interesting for hoops fans.

Related: 1 NBA Team Has 0 Interest In Lakers Star D’Angelo Russell

Carlos Garcia

A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.