The Philadelphia 76ers will not only enter the 2025-26 season as the most unpredictable team in the league. To be brutally honest, they also have the most to prove in the upcoming campaign, as what could transpire will most certainly dictate the direction of the franchise moving forward as they vacillate between clinging onto their current nucleus and moving over to the next phase.
To win as many games as they can next season, the 76ers — despite their abundance of talent — have their work cut out for them due to their lagging team chemistry. That was the end result of their revolving door of injured key players last season, something that is already brewing in the lead-up to October.
Aside from injuries, though, Philly still has an unresolved saga in the form of Quentin Grimes, whose camp has become more relentless than before in trying to cudgel the front office into handing him a bigger offer. For now, him staying with the 76ers is inevitable, although that partnership will most likely end up being a short one.
And if that is indeed the case, the 76ers could look to move him to another team, potentially for someone like, say, Austin Reaves.
The 76ers could trade for Austin Reaves if extension talks falter
Following a breakout campaign last season, Reaves has started to engage the Lakers front office on a possible multi-year contract extension. The undrafted star still has two years on his current bargain bin deal, but he is already looking to cash in on the heels of his encouraging performance during the 2024-25 season.
Having said that, there seems to be some hesitation on the part of Los Angeles to hand him the handsome figure he is eyeing on his next deal. So far, there is no rush on both sides to get a deal done, but if talks crumble and it becomes more apparent that Reaves will hit the open market when he is eligible to, the Lakers should consider parting with him early so as to not lose leverage.
Under that design, the 76ers have the tools to nab Reaves from the Lakers. If Grimes is re-signed to a short-term deal and a moderate figure, he can be someone whom Philly can endorse to lure Los Angeles into a trade.
Reaves is a great offensive player who can create for himself and for others. He is no savant on defense, but his defensive “issues” are overstated, and he should have no problem fitting into a guard-heavy 76ers squad which would actually be well-served by his perimeter shooting and secondary playmaking.
Grimes, on the flip side, would be a good replacement for Reaves on the Lakers’ part. He already has some experience playing next to Luka Doncic, and even better, he projects to be a tad less expensive than Reaves.
Obviously, this is just conjectural at this point, but the Philadelphia 76ers have to dip their fingers into every viable window to get roster upgrades, and Reaves, despite being a mere rental under this train of thought, would be a good fit with the team.