The Philadelphia 76ers are reportedly having discussions about trading out of the number three spot in the upcoming 2025 NBA Draft.
A disappointing season saw the Sixers miss the NBA Playoffs entirely, finishing with a 24-58 record despite possessing a talented roster featuring 2023 NBA MVP Joel Embiid and All-Stars Tyrese Maxey and Paul George.
They were sent a blessing in the Draft Lottery as the third pick in the NBA Draft fell into their lap, and now the Sixers are looking at their options with their newfound draft capital.
Philadelphia are considering trading Paul George
While the 76ers could elect to add some youthful talent to their team, since they have the pick of some of the 2025 NBA Draft’s best talent, reports from Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix on The Bill Simmons Podcast suggest that Philly is hoping to use the draft pick to get out of George’s salary.
“I don’t know what Philadelphia is going to do here,” said Mannix. “Do they just sit on that draft pick and take it? Or do they try to package it? Is Paul George in play? I’ve heard some of that over the last 24 hours—that they could be looking to trade back with Paul George to do something there.”
George’s subpar play in his first season in Philadelphia was a major contributor to the Sixers’ struggles this season. He scored 16.2 points per game, down from 22.6 the previous season, on 43% shooting from the field and 35.8 % from three.
When you consider that the 76ers committed to paying George $211,584,940 over four years last summer, that presents a real problem.
The third pick in the draft, therefore, is an opportunity to offload George’s contract and open up cap space, allowing Philadelphia to bring in talent in NBA free agency.
Finding a suitor for George’s mammoth contract presents a problem of its own, however, meaning the Sixers are seeking a team who are happy to absorb his contract in order to get some young talent with the third pick.
76ers are pursuing Jaylen Brown deal
ESPN Senior NBA Insider Shams Charania reported that the Boston Celtics were open to trading Jaylen Brown and were receiving calls from NBA teams about a potential trade for the 2024 NBA Finals MVP.
“The phone lines are ringing in Boston,” said Charania to Scott Van Pelt on SportsCenter.
“My understanding is the Celtics are getting calls for both Jaylen Brown and Derrick White. The Celtics have high price thresholds for both players.
“I’m sure they’re getting massive offers and some pretty big-time calls as well. Their preference has been to keep both players.”
The Celtics traded Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis already this offseason, and are now reportedly open to a third big move early in the summer.
That gives the Sixers a perfect opportunity to utilise their draft capital to get off George’s contract and acquire some talent to pair with Embiid.
With the big three of Embiid, Brown and Maxey, they would be strong contenders in the Eastern Conference. But since Charania reported a high-asking price, it seems that the Sixers would have to part ways with their young star in Maxey in order to bring Brown in.