The 76ers recently finished a stunning season that any organization would be proud of. After spending years rebuilding and carefully laying a foundation of youth, they finally saw the rewards to their process. They went from a 28-win season to a 52-win season, the third overall seed in the Eastern Conference and a five-game exit in the second round of the playoffs.

Now that the Sixers have taken a giant step forward, they want to continue to build a team that can compete for championships. Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid are the future, but a big-name star could put them into contention with the cream of the crop in the league. According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Sixers plan to go after some big names this summer. That includes LeBron James, Paul George and maybe even Kawhi Leonard.

The Sixers can't publicly say so until July 1, but it doesn't take an engineering degree to realize the team is prepared to do whatever it takes to sign (LeBron) James, a four-time league MVP. Oklahoma City small forward Paul George is another free agent the Sixers have interest in, according to folks around the league. He would be a great fit because of his ability to shoot the ball and defend. Don't be surprised if they also try to acquire San Antonio Spurs small forward Kawhi Leonard in a trade. Sources have said the Sixers have expressed interest in the two-time all-star. While he is eligible for a five-year, $219-million "super-max" extension with the Spurs this summer, there are reports that Leonard wants out after staying away from the team for most of the season with a quad injury. He played in only nine games.

James is expected to be a free agent this summer, but he has to opt out of the final year of his contract first. George will need to do the same. Leonard, on the other hand, can only change teams via trade; he'll be a free agent in July of 2019. Any deal involving Leonard would probably be a sign-and-trade of some kind to try and guarantee that he stays with his new team longer than a year.

The first question that should come to everybody's mind: Can the 76ers even afford one of these big-names? The Sixers have an interesting cap situation this summer. A lot of it depends on where their draft pick ends up, if Joel Embiid earns any regular season accolades such as MVP or All-NBA and how creative they can get with contracts like Jerry Bayless and Richuan Holmes.

There's also JJ Redick. He's been a huge part Philadelphia's success this season, but he's going to be a free agent this summer. If the 76ers are have their sights set on signing a big name then the amount left over for him will likely dip into the luxury tax. Team owner Josh Harris said he's willing to pay it, but Redick still might have to take a discount to return to the Sixers.

However, one thing in all of this is clear, and it's that the 76ers can definitely afford a big star like a James or George. They might have to get a little creative with cap space, but whenever a team has a chance at getting a star they take that chance and don't look back.

It will be interesting to see what kind of buzz the 76ers draw from players in free agency. They're a rising team that's expected to contend for years. There has to be at least some appeal for veteran stars to join a team like that.