NBA Free Agency Rumors Roundup: 10th July - Thunder allow Melo to meet Rockets & Heat, Rockets' Capela wants $100M deal

Conflicting reports about Philly's "serious" chance to land LeBron

Ben Simmons and LeBron James

ESPN reported late on Wednesday that the Philadelphia 76ers felt they were strongly considered by LeBron James' camp before he made his eventual decision to sign with the Lakers.

Here's the quote ESPN had from the Sixers' managing partner Josh Harris:

"I think they considered us very strongly," Harris said of James' group Monday at the Las Vegas Summer League. "I think he -- I would be speculating on how he makes his decisions, and I don't want to do that -- but I think that they were really serious [about Philadelphia]. The fact that they took the meeting with us was something that they didn't view lightly, so I think that they were very serious about it."

However, their own insider Brian Windhorst later stated that they weren't serious contenders. (Begin watching at the 4:22 mark)