If the 76ers had a sterling offseason, one could say the exact opposite for the Clippers, which are a hot and sizzling mess right now. After the NBA concluded its investigation into the latter's salary cap circumvention surrounding Kawhi Leonard, the league decided to hand down a stunning penalty. Now, LA is in desperation mode, and Philadelphia can actually take advantage of that by viewing them as an easy way out of a bad contract as a trading partner when the need arises.
For now, the 76ers are on the verge of kickstarting what could be a historic championship bid. With four All-NBA players spearheading their title chase, they are widely expected to be a strong contender for the Larry O'Brien trophy. Be that as it may, nothing is ever guaranteed in this league, and if the team sees their chances derailed due to unforeseen reasons (such as injury), the Clippers should be at the end of the tunnel as a lifeline of some sort.
The 76ers have a clever way to make the Clippers' desperation work in their favor
There aren't a lot of things that will prevent the 76ers from truly contending for the championship next season, but if there is one factor that could thwart their chances: It is the injury bug. Philly's core players are no strangers to major injuries, and if that happens, the front office could be compelled to seriously consider dropping the hammer on one of them. The same thing applies to those players they signed if they end up being duds.
If, say, Joel Embiid suffers a new injury or gets re-injured, and the 76ers end up faring well enough anyway, that could be a prime impetus for them to move on from the superstar big man and his albatross contract. Likewise, if a newcomer like Dean Wade gets injured or becomes a subpar rotation piece, the team can move his multi-year deal. The ideal destination? Look no further than the Clippers.
After getting five first-round picks taken away from them as a penalty for the Kawhi chaos, the Clippers will be desperate to recoup draft capital. One way for them to do that is to willingly become an accommodation party and take in unwanted contracts as long as the sending team attaches some draft picks.
Obviously, parting ways with an asset to get rid of a bad contract is not a picturesque maneuver for the 76ers front office, but at the very least, they now have that option. Hopefully, they never get to the point where they have to resort to that, but if the push comes to shove, they should call the Clippers.
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