Disappointment is really the only word that can succinctly define the Philadelphia 76ers this season. From being widely deemed as indubitable title favorites the instant they were largely finished making moves in free agency, the team puzzlingly made a complete 180, ending up as one of the worst teams in the league in 2024-25.
On paper, not a lot of teams can match the pure talent the 76ers tout on their roster, yet as if keeping with an annual tradition, the injury bug has ravaged them whole, snapping their chances of rising from the ashes just when it seemed like they were finally starting to regain their footing before the calendar year flipped.
Arguably the most drastic change to the team’s dynamic this season is the presence of Paul George, whom the front office inked to a four-year, max contract with the hope that he can catapult them to legitimate title contention. Instead, the 34-year old has seemingly aged like milk this year, struggling to find his shot and already looking like someone with the worst contract in the NBA.
The 76ers should aggressively try to trade Paul George right from the get-go
Given their heavily congested payroll, Philadelphia will not be able to have much spending power in free agency — a worrisome reality that could not be any more untimely given the huge impetus to make drastic changes in light of a disastrous campaign.
As a result, the foremost thing that the 76ers brass must resort to is to aggresively shop George the moment the offseason kicks in. Already pegged as one of the worst deals in the league, that contract is simply going to be a huge obstacle to roster-building for the next three years.
Nevertheless, all hope is not lost on that front. Perhaps a desperate team out there could find the George situation this season as a mere aberration given the early season injuries he had to face that ultimately extinguished any rhythm he could have had and give more credence to the career-year he turned in just last year as a perimeter force for the Clippers, opening a window for a much-needed trade.
While that is a remote possibility for now, the 76ers can also accelerate the process by attaching pot sweeteners. The front office do have some ammo to artificially make a trade for George more appealing than it should be — it is only a matter of being brave enough to part with valuable assets to get them out of their current bind.
Paul George could very well bounce back for the Philadelphia 76ers next season, but that is far from being set in stone. In the spirit of precaution — and admitting that they were wrong to sign him in the first place — the franchise must do whatever it takes to move on from the nine-time All-Star.
Yes, even this early.