With trade restrictions about to be lifted in about a couple of weeks, teams around the league are starting to get a real itch about gearing up to strike deals and whatnot, and going by precedence, the Philadelphia 76ers are likely to have already adopted that same disposition, at least to some degree.
That is why it is no surprise that the rumor mill has already been churning at this juncture. Heck, the talk of the NBA community right now has been the seemingly looming sweepstakes centered on Giannis Antetokounmpo. With the Bucks immensely struggling despite a good start to the season, rumors say that the two-time MVP could soon force his way out.
All 29 teams will definitely be interested in getting the Greek Freak, but only a handful can be considered as bona fide threats to snag him via trade. Unfortunately, the 76ers are not going to be a player at all, especially given the way their roster is currently set up. This time, Daryl Morey and his crew will most likely be relegated to spectator duty.
The 76ers do not have what it takes to trade for Giannis
Antetokounmpo has previously declared in bold fashion that he will remain in Milwaukee, but he has also openly expressed his frustrations about the Bucks losing a lot as of late. They currently have a meager 9-13 record and have lost eight of their last 10, falling all the way to 11th in the Eastern Conference.
It remains to be seen if this rumor actually ends up holding water, but even if it does, the 76ers will be a total non-factor.
Unless Philly becomes suddenly conducive to parting with Tyrese Maxey — a crass proposition that would prompt fans to demand a wholesale lobotomy for the front office — the team literally has no realistic path to even getting on the table with Milwaukee’s brass.
Even functioning as a third (or fourth) team to facilitate a blockbuster trade is probably out of the cards. The 76ers have a top-heavy payroll, and the makings of a Giannis deal would probably entail sizeable contracts going from point A to point B.
As a result, 76ers fans have no active reason to closely monitor the developments that could possibly happen with respect to Giannis. At most, the franchise will be most affected by the fact that they could see a longtime conference nemesis go down at last.