After falling victim to a deflating seven-game losing streak, the Philadelphia 76ers seemed poised for doom and gloom. But in shocking fashion, they managed to carve out a mini-win streak after registering two consecutive wins over the league-leading Cleveland Cavaliers and the Chicago Bulls, the former standing as their signature win of the season and the latter coming in via a fourth quarter flurry.
Having said that, the 76ers undeniably remain the biggest disappointment in the NBA. Their campaign has been so stale that even their two, impressive victories would most likely remain in the sphere of bygones. Give how much they have struggled, it would take more than a couple of dubs to turn some heads their way.
Magnifying things toward the long-term, Philadelphia’s prospects do not look good, either. Two-thirds of their vaunted big three could falter anytime soon, and there really is not a lot of wiggle room for the front office to make a pivot into a rebuild given the current timeline they are in with their nucleus. It would take a very desperate buyer to get the ball rolling.
Bill Simmons pitches wild 76ers trade proposal with Tyrese Maxey and Paul George heading to the Spurs
Bill Simmons, who definitely had a lot of talking points about the 76ers as of late, argued that the franchise should sell pretty hard and try to rebuild now with this bold trade proposal.
Philadelphia 76ers receive: Harrison Barnes, Zach Collins, Keldon Johnson, Tre Jones, Chris Paul, six future first-round picks
San Antonio Spurs receive: Tyrese Maxey, Paul George, Kyle Lowry
Talk about a pipe dream trade pitch, huh? Simmons certainly delivered in that regard.
This kind of a trade framework is most likely one of the best ones the 76ers could see proferred on the table should they decide they want to blow it up. A collection of tradeable players (perhaps except Collins) and six first-round picks would be an incredible return for an outgoing All-Star in Tyrese Maxey, a declining star in Paul George, and a washed-up vet in Kyle Lowry.
However, reality stands on their way. San Antonio is clearly taking its time slow-cooking their youth movement led by the greatest prospect in the NBA with Victor Wembanyama, and the Spurs have traditionally been one of the most prudent franchises in the NBA with regard to dealing draft picks.
As a counterargument, a legitimate case could be made that Wembanyama is so good already that the Spurs should now pounce on the opportunity to upgrade its talent across the board. While they have massively improved compared to last season, they do not yet have the kind of talent that can catapult them into the playoffs.
For the Philadelphia 76ers, this is just a telling template of how they can go about things in case everything goes awry. For now, that remains a hard sell due to the reality of the situation, but should San Antonio take on a more aggressive mantle, watch out.