The Philadelphia 76ers are cash-strapped this year, thanks in large part to the exorbitant spending they pulled off last summer when they went all-in on veteran commodities, most prominently Paul George, who signed with the franchise and left the Clippers to the tune of a four-year maximum contract.
So far, the move has been widely considered a huge dud for the 76ers, albeit due to their own miscalculation. After all, the front office admittedly glossed over all red flags with the nine-time All-Star, and as a result, what was initially expected to be a perfect marriage has quickly soured, at least merits-wise.
Surprisingly, the front office previously went on record to say that they were going to ride it out with George next season, but in all honesty, the idea of parting with him deserves more than scant consideration. Hence, a feasibly pathway to that effect shouldn’t just be tossed to the side.
And speaking of pathways, the 76ers actually do have one.
The 76ers can dump Paul George to the Jazz, but it comes with a steep price
One of the more visible ways to do away with George’s mammoth deal is to try and make him appear to be a more palatable asset by pairing with the team’s No. 3 pick in the draft in a trade-down scenario which, of course, will not sound appealing to anyone following the 76ers.
Just recently, there arose some whispers about the 76ers engaging with the Jazz on a possible trade-down from No. 3 to No. 5, with George eventually landing in Utah. And as can be gleaned from that, Philadelphia would be absorbing a slew of rotation players to match salaries, or Lauri Markkanen could also find himself being a part of the return package.
Sure, the thought of moving on from George through this avenue sounds more than acceptable, but there is a big difference between picking third and fifth in this year’s deep, but top-heavy draft class. The difference would have been more palatable if the 76ers were to usher in a meaningful upgrade, but both possible returns — either a combination of rotation players or Markkanen as the one-man package —- do not really move the needle for Philly.
Markkanen has already been named to an All-Star team once, but there are concerns about his ability to continue posting strong numbers on a good team. He is also on a very sizeable deal, and has likewise missed significant time due to injury.
There is also the fact that George is still only a year removed from looking like an All-NBA player. His pedigree warrants the benefit of the doubt that perhaps, an injury-laden campaign resulted into a mere aberration.
In any way, it would benefit the Philadelphia 76ers to get rid of Paul George’s huge contract, However, they cannot rectify a mistake — if it truly ends up becoming one with no asterisks — with another potential mistake.