It is perfectly valid to drop a take along the lines of “the Philadelphia 76ers have not been blessed by the basketball gods during my lifetime”. After all, it has been two generations and more than four decades since the franchise tasted an NBA championship, and from the likes of it, fans may already have their own grandchild without witnessing the team hoist the Larry O’Brien trophy up.
And if we are being really honest, expecting the 76ers to win the trophy next season is being too hopeful. The NBA will crown a new champion for the seventh year in a row, and another defending champion has been booted out of the playoffs without getting to the Conference Finals. Really, what is there a case for Philly suddenly going on a tear in 2025-26 and being in actual championship talks?
This team depends too much on its stars being healthy which, at this point in their careers, is asking for way too much. It seems like fate is starting to toll the 76ers for the surplus of talent they have had since reaping the rewards of The Process (on paper), and at this juncture, you would be hard-pressed to find an objective NBA fan claim that the franchise is still in the championship loop.
However, there is a way for the 76ers to flip their fortunes, but only if they are willing to be shamelessly aggressive.
The 76ers can flip their fortunes by replicating what exactly doomed them
The 76ers currently have the third overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, and despite many wishing for the front office to keep their pick, the team has already been reported to be entertaining offers for their own selection.
Trading such a prized draft pick for an established star is not only wasteful — it is totally unnecessary. However, if Daryl Morey and company really have that itch to make a deal, they could do so without attracting so much angst by, well, moving up in the draft.
We’re talking about the two teams picking above the 76ers, the Spurs and the Mavericks. However, to cut to the chse, Philly should try to aggressively hound Dallas into making a deal. While the Mavs seem to be a virtual lock to snag the best prospect in Cooper Flagg in the draft, they are led by someone like Nico Harrison, whom the team already fleeced not too long ago.
Trading the third overall pick for the foremost one should ring a bell for 76ers fans. After all, the franchise did exactly that, albeit in reverse, when it moved up in the draft, with Boston ending up with Jayson Tatum and Philadelphia selecting Markelle Fultz. And we all know how that turned out for both teams, right?
In this case, though, the 76ers have a chance to flip their fortunes and erase the bitter taste of that colossal blunder. However, the tough thing is getting the Mavericks to trade their prime shot at repairing their self-inflicted damage.
Fortunately, as long as they have Nico Harrison, there is nothing impossible. Right?