The Philadelphia 76ers have already made plenty of noise this offseason with Jaylen Brown and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. With LeBron James now in Philadelphia, attention has shifted toward the pieces around its veteran superstar. That has made one recent rumor about his former teammate especially intriguing.

Posts circulating on social media claim the Sixers have signed veteran center JaVale McGee to a one-year, $3.8 million deal. The alleged move would give Philadelphia another seven-footer and a familiar veteran presence behind Joel Embiid.

But there is no credible confirmation that McGee has signed with the 76ers.

The claim appears to have spread through social media posts rather than a report from the NBA, the 76ers, ESPN, or another established league insider.

As of September 2, there is no reliable evidence that Philadelphia has completed a deal with McGee. More importantly, recent legitimate reporting about the Sixers’ roster moves has focused elsewhere.

Philadelphia recently added 7-foot-6 center Tacko Fall, along with Jameer Nelson Jr. and Saint Thomas. Dave McMenamin reported, “All three players are on Exhibit 10 deals, a source told ESPN, and will be a part of Sixers training camp.”

Fall’s contract indicates the Sixers clearly wanted additional size. But needing frontcourt depth does not directly mean McGee is the next choice.

Let’s not forget, McGee has already played for the 76ers. Philadelphia acquired him from the Denver Nuggets in February 2015. The move came during a period when the Nuggets were trying to shed salary, and the Sixers had enough cap space to absorb his contract. His time in Philadelphia, however, was extremely short.

The Sixers waived McGee on March 1, 2015, after he appeared in six games for the team. ESPN reported at the time that Philadelphia and McGee had been discussing a buyout before the veteran center was ultimately waived. He then moved on to Dallas. So, if McGee were to return to Philadelphia more than a decade later, it would represent a reunion rather than a first-time pairing.

There is also some real history between McGee and James, which makes the latest rumor easier to believe at first glance. McGee and James spent two seasons together with the Los Angeles Lakers from 2018 to 2020. That partnership ended with a championship.

McGee started at center for much of the 2019-20 Lakers campaign and averaged 6.6 points and 5.7 rebounds in 16.6 minutes per game during the regular season. He then helped the team win the 2020 NBA championship inside the Orlando bubble. McGee has also spoken positively about playing alongside James.

Philadelphia has leaned into those existing connections since James arrived. The Sixers signed Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, another member of the 2020 Lakers championship team.

KCP already knows what it takes to play alongside James, making his addition more than just another veteran roster move. The Sixers also added Phil Handy to Nick Nurse’s coaching staff. Handy previously worked with James in both Cleveland and Los Angeles, while also working with Nurse in Toronto.

Put together, those moves show Philadelphia is surrounding James with people who already understand his world. That still does not confirm McGee is coming to Philly. But it explains why the rumor has gained traction.