Everything should be in the cards for the Philadelphia 76ers this offseason. Considering the way their season turned out to be, there is simply no justifiable reason for the front office to take on a protective attitude when it comes to the current roster. That would be highly disingenuous.
At this point, Daryl Morey and his crew haveto view this offseason as the perfect time to make a hard pivot if the opportunity presents itself. The need for change has never been this strong before, and if the franchise truly intends to get back to relevance and be in the position for their goals to actually materialize, something big has to take place.
One way to do that is by moving the needle for a prime player. While the 76ers obviously do not lack star power, at least on paper, the across-the-board decline the team saw from some of its biggest names is a bad sign of what the future could possibly hold for the squad.
And luckily for them, the perfect star to zoom in on could be within actual reach.
The 76ers could make a move for Lauri Markkanen after his down season
Paul George’s contract will be pretty difficult to move without ample pot sweeteners, but that could be negligible for a team that intends to bottom out.
One franchise that projects to be in that position now and in the near future is Utah, which has finally heeded the resounding calls from both the inside and out to pick a clear direction. If so, an interesting thing to watch out for is the future of Lauri Markkanen with the franchise.
Thanks to the Jazz’s commitment to losing this season, the All-Star forward definitely saw his production diminish. While still clearly the best player on his team, Markkanen shot a career-low 42.3 percent this season while also finishing the season with the second-worst three-point shooting percentage of his career.
Given Markkanen’s suppressed production, that could open up some leeway for some other team, like the 76ers, to potentially engage the Jazz on a relatively discounted deal. For Philly, that could mean offering George without giving as much draft compensation to sweeten the pot as expected.
The All-Star forward is undoubtedly a malleable weapon offensively, capable of creating his own shot while also profiling as a high-volume, spot-up threat. He can play all three frontcourt positions, and given the right personnel, can also more than hold his own on defense.
While it is a bit of a reach at the moment, the Philadelphia 76ers are an easy fit for Lauri Markkanen. It is only a matter of the stars aligning if the Jazz somehow cozy up to the thought of moving him in the first place.