The Philadelphia 76ers are probably not looking to make a major splash this season, especially since the number of openings available for them to do exactly that is close to nil. Longtime NBA analyst Bill Simmons, however, would seemingly like to digress, recently dishing out a trade scenario where Giannis Antetokounmpo somehow ends up in Philly.
In Simmons’ trade pitch, Giannis and Gary Harris get traded to the 76ers for VJ Edgecombe, Paul George and a future first-round pick. Now, an argument could be made that both teams would probably never even exhibit a modicum of interest on such an arbitrary trade framework, but one can only imagine the outrage from eveyone in league circles if this — or anything proximate — somehow ends up transpiring.
No, it is not only because the 76ers would have taken such a bold move by basically mortgaging their future for the two-time MVP and the Bucks would have gotten a subpar return package due to the singular draft pick involved. It is actually the George element which makes this trade all the more heist-y for Philly.
The 76ers easily fool the Bucks if this Giannis trade proposal ends up happening
As everyone knows, PG’s contract is a hot mess right now. He is set to earn more than $50 million per year for the next two seasons, which is a colossal figure that is far from commensurate to what he brings to the table at this point in his otherwise remarkable career.
Heck, one could argue that if the 76ers somehow pull this off thanks to some kismetic force heavily favoring them, getting rid of George’s deal is just as big of a win as nabbing someone like the Greek Freak. His contract is that bad.
Of course, if we let reason percolate as it often does (yes, the Luka trade is still a one-in-a-million aberration), Giannis will never get traded to the 76ers. But as everyone knows, the league has seen some uber-crazy deals materialize in recent years. Who’s to say that Milwaukee will never be that enticed by Edgecombe as the anchor of the return package, right?
Anyway, the 76ers must be desperate to free themselves from the financially debilitating shackle that is Paul George and his mammoth contract. And while it may be way too unrealistic for now, his deal is definitely in play if Philly goes after Giannis in a bona fide chase.