The Philadelphia 76ers need to try to trade Paul George this offseason so that they can free up some cap space to build around Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe in the future, but they'll need to be realistic about what they can get in return for the 36-year-old. As Jake Fischer of The Stein Line speculated, a deal could look like what Atlanta got for Trae Young earlier this year (subscription required).
George just bounced back from a 25-game suspension for a banned substance during the regular season to shoot 49.2% from deep in the postseason. If the cost is Young-like — Atlanta, remember, settled for two team-friendly contracts (CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert) and no draft compensation in that trade — it gets easier to picture teams showing in George and the shooting/creating/wing defense he can still provide.
Similar to the Young situation, Fischer wondered if a George suitor would be willing to sign him to a multi-year extension if he declined his $56.6 million player option for 2027-28. That could certainly help make a trade happen, making a team more willing to pay him the $54.1 million he is owed next season.
The bottom line, though, is that any team willing to take on George's contract, regardless of whether he would decline his option or not, isn't going to part with anything of value.
Sixers wouldn't get much in a Paul George trade
Atlanta actually got lucky with its Young trade, as CJ McCollum turned into more than just a veteran presence who would be nice to have around for the second half of the season. He's someone the Hawks want to keep around with how he looked as a starter to end the regular season, and in the first round of the playoffs against the Knicks.
Still, Atlanta would've liked to get more than that, just like Philadelphia would want if it decides to trade George. The Sixers' return would probably net them even less than the Hawks got, given where the forward is in his career compared to Young.
A team trying to win a championship could still look at how George played after returning from his 25-game suspension and be willing to bring him in. You might argue that the Sixers should keep him around, at least to start next season, because of how he performed in the playoffs, but because it will be next to impossible to trade Joel Embiid, they'll need to work to get George's money off the books.
Philadelphia needs to capitalize on how George looked in the postseason rather than wait and risk him devaluing his already unfavorable contract. It wouldn't be to try to acquire win-now players in return (though the Hawks managed to do that) or future draft capital (let's be real), but to set the Sixers up better for the future.
It's a necessary move, one that whoever comes in and takes over should prioritize.
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