Maxey was an unquestionable key factor in the
76ers' landing James. Maxey had a strong relationship with James, as both are represented by Klutch Sports. With James joining a new team that has lots of egos and needs, having a connection with the point guard was an edge for Philly. Some will say Harden's role as Cleveland's point guard affected James' decision, but there is more nuance than that. It's not that the
Cavs having Harden was a factor, sources said, but rather who the Cavs did not have. To get Harden from the
LA Clippers in February, the Cavs traded Darius Garland, a Klutch-repped point guard with whom James has had a yearslong relationship.
In the end, there were three strikes against Cleveland: Family not being an issue in LeBron's choice, the front office not making a deal for Brown and the Cavs' roster not featuring Garland. To say it was one of these factors more than the other might be missing the big picture.
ESPN
