The 2024-25 season is finally inching closer toward its conclusion, and the Philadelphia 76ers probably could not be any more relieved. After all, there is little reason to look back on what transpired in this campaign, and after being officially eliminated from playoff contention, the front office has every reason to instead look forward to the moves they can possible make come offseason.
As of the moment, the bulk of the offseason noise involving the 76ers is on the upcoming 2025 NBA Draft, and rightfully so. Of course, it is a pretty rare occasion for this franchise, given its nucleus, to have a shot at picking at the very top of the draft. And even if they do not get the top prize, the incoming crop of rookies is highly anticipated for its sheer talent and depth.
Having said that, Philadelphia needs to badly address the elephant in the room — what can it possibly do to reverse its fortunes for the following campaign? Two of their stars are already in a hazy footing — Joel Embiid still dealing with uncertainty on his knee mishaps and Paul George’s decline occurring at a boosted and unprecedented pace.
The 76ers could look to trade for DeMar DeRozan to save themselves from disaster
While the outlook with Embiid is a tad murkier at this juncture, the less appealing situation is the one the 76ers are dealing with when it comes to George. The 34-year-old looked like he aged tenfold this season alone, and there is really no saying with conviction that he should be able to get back to his usual form, especially in view of the fact that he is also injury-prone.
Hence, the best remedy is to aggressively find a taker for his services via trade this offseason. Sure, that is way easier said than done, but the 76ers can make life easier for themselves by putting forth a compromise and attaching pot sweeteners to lure in potential buyers.
Fortunately for Philly, it seems like there is a remote chance for them to do just that. DeMar DeRozan, who is in his first season in Sacramento, is already rumored to be on the trading block once the offseason begins in light of the Kings’ struggles for a breakthrough this year, giving the 76ers a viable trade scenario.
DeRozan is not really any more of a needle-mover than George currently is, but he is at least someone who has a shorter and cheaper contract than the latter. Even better, he is far from being injury-prone, and could serve as a meaningful stopgap solution in the meantime as he provides two things the 76ers need — shot creation and playmaking.
To make this sound even better for the Kings, George actually projects to be an even better fit next to Domantas Sabonis and Zach LaVine than DeRozan. George is a primary perimeter operator who offers more defensive resistance, and unlike DeRozan, he does not always need the ball to keep defenses honest.
From this view, a DeMar DeRozan-Paul George swap sounds like a great deal for the Philadelphia 76ers. The moment the Sacramento Kings start trending towards that direction, the franchise should immediately pounce on that opportunity to make an offer.