The Philadelphia 76ers are hard up on their luck right now.
The elephant in the room is their win-loss record, as they’re 17-27 in 2024-25, 11th in the East. It could be worse, as they’re 1.0 game out of spot in the Play-In Tournament and 5.5 games behind the Detroit Pistons, who are currently sixth in the Eastern Conference standings. However, the Sixers entered the season being touted as a title-contender that was on par with the likes of the Boston Celtics.
Sixers Making Major Trade May Be Major Mistake
At this very moment, the Celtics look like a shell of themselves. Whether it’s due to fatigue or a need to upgrade their bench, they’re 6-4 in their last 10 games. Nonetheless, they’ve handled business more often than not, which is why they’re 32-14 overall; second in the East.
Compared to Philadelphia, Boston has been much healthier though. They’ve only had Kristaps Porzingis, an All-Star-caliber stretch-five, available for 21 games. Yet, their other four starters —Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Jrue Holiday, and Derrick White –have only missed seven or fewer games this season.
The 76ers are at the other end of the spectrum.
This season, they’ve had just two starters —Tyrese Maxey and Kelly Oubre Jr. –miss seven or fewer games. Paul George, who was considered as a definitive upgrade over Tobias Harris, has only suited up for 30 games. On Saturday, the swingman went back into the shop, and will undergo an MRI for a jammed pinky (per Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer). Joel Embiid, the face of the franchise, has only been available for 13 games.
As a result, Philadelphia has only been able to start Embiid, George, Maxey, and Oubre together in seven games. The good news is that this quartet is 6-1 in those games. That said, a major trade –perhaps for Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler –could be seen as the best pathway forward. However, they should hold off on making that type of move.
Embiid’s knee injury is likely to be an ongoing issue, but George’s problem has been misfortune rather than management. Hyperextensions and jammed extremities are normal but relatively uncommon. Maybe he needs to make changes to his routine. Maybe he just needs to weather the storm in an anomalous season.
At this point though, it’s still too early to call.
Better Trade Options In The Offseason
If the Sixers were to trade George in an effort to rectify his signing, it would be with the hope that the grass is greener on the other side. Yet, there aren’t any feasible trades that would guarantee that, even on paper.
Butler doesn’t figure to be as smooth of a fit as George off-ball due to his deficiency as a three-point threat. Chicago Bulls wing Zach LaVine is a marksman from beyond the arc but isn’t a great fit alongside Maxey, defensively. New Orleans Pelicans swingman Brandon Ingram isn’t particularly reliable on the perimeter, at either end. Perhaps they would be willing to make the trade for Phoenix Suns guard Bradley Beal given his skillset, but his injury history leaves a lot to be desired.
Thus, if Philadelphia were to make a blockbuster move, they would be best off waiting until at least the offseason. As previously mentioned, all the Sixers actually need might be for George (and Embiid) to be healthy. Should the idea turn out to be more of a pipe dream though, then they could explore other avenues. In fact, they should have even more options.
Teams that are currently above the second apron could get below it, allowing them to aggregate contracts. Players who weren’t eligible for trade due to the timing of their contract extensions, like Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen, could go back on the market. The Denver Nuggets could revisit a trade for George, leading Michael Porter Jr. to the Eastern Conference. The Portland Trail Blazers may make Jerami Grant available.
None of these players are perfect replacements for George but each have qualities that will make them attractive in a swap.
The post 76ers Making Major Trade May Be Major Mistake appeared first on Last Word On Basketball.