The Philadelphia 76ers are stuck waiting on Joel Embiid to be healthy - and hoping he stays that way. Unless, that is, they make this bold blockbuster trade for Anthony Davis. Can they pull this off? Should they?
There are exciting things happening in Philadelphia this season. VJ Edgecombe is a live wire and capable of exceptional scoring feats as a rookie. Quentin Grimes looks just as good as last season in a winning environment. The likes of Jabari Walker, Trenton Watford and Dom Barlow are legitimate rotation players. Tyrese Maxey is on track to be an All-NBA palyer and might even lead the league in scoring.
Yet the veteran pairing of Joel Embiid and Paul George continues to be an anchor on this team's upside. George recently made his season debut and has been fine, but he is a far cry from the max-worthy two-way All-Star he was supposed to be. And Joel Embiid started the season healthy but is already on the shelf, and he has been a defensive liability when he has played.
The 76ers should be considering bold moves to take advantage of a wide-open Eastern Conference. Embiid's contract is so long and lucrative that he is trade kryptonite, but perhaps a deal could be found for Paul George, who has two seasons left after this one. That contract is a problem, but the right balance of assets could convince a team in the right position to take him on.
The 76ers don't need more guards; what they need is a frontcourt player who can level up their inteiror defense and perhaps have the ability to play alongside Joel Embiid at times if the former MVP can get back on the court.
Could Anthony Davis be the answer?
Building an Anthony Davis trade
The Dallas Mavericks need to pivot into building around Cooper Flagg, a reality that the rest of the NBA world knew the moment they won the Draft Lottery, but which the Mavericks are just now coming to grips with. That almost certainly means trading Anthony Davis.
Davis fits the bill of a big man who would transform their interior defense; when healthy (more on that in a moment) he is one of the league's very best defensive players, with the size and strength to wall off the rim and the mobility to impact opposing offenses all around the court. He also has plenty of experience playing both the 4 and the 5, so he could be the starting center in Embiid's absence and then play some minutes beside him in massive lineups.
The Mavericks are not looking to enter a long-term rebuild, however, so they are not the answer to take back Paul George's contract. That requires a third team -- and such a team may have just entered the chat. The Charlotte Hornets appear to be open for business on LaMelo Ball, a former All-Star who is young enough to fit on Cooper Flagg's timeline.
Building a trade would therefore require sending Ball and some salary filler to the Mavericks, Anthony Davis to the 76ers, and Paul George to the Hornets accompanied by enough assets to pay them for taking on George's contract. Rather than stacking smaller assets, Philadelphia may be best served by including some of the best.
Here is what such a deal would look like:
The Mavericks get off of Davis -- for another oft-injured star, but at least one who fits with Flagg and Dereck Lively II on the court and lines up with their age horizon. The Hornets get a young guard to add to their core in Jared McCain and a premium asset in the Los Angeles Clippers' 2028 first-round pick, and in exchange they commit to paying George's salary for the next three seasons.
Is this trade one that the 76ers should pull the trigger on?
Grade the Trade: 76ers should make this trade
This is a huge swing for the 76ers to make. Anthony Davis is a two-way superstar when he is on the court -- but he is not often on the court. His injury history is extensive; rarely massive injuries, but frequently minor ones. Do the 76ers really want to add another injury-prone player?
It is a risk, but the upside is massive. Anthony Davis on the back line behind Tyrese Maxey and Quentin Grimes is a dynamic pairing, and Davis and Embiid could coexist as well for some stretches of the game. Davis would give the 76ers a chance to contain the likes of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Evan Mobley and Jalen Duren.
Is this too much to pay? It obviously would be too much to pay for just Davis, but getting off of George's contract is massive as well. With Maxey, Grimes and Edgecombe there is less space for Jared McCain, so including him in the deal is more reasonable. That Clippers pick has huge upside, but this Philly team is ready to do something now -- and Davis can help them now.
Is it crazy? Probably. Will it work? Maybe not. Yet there is a chance things come together and the 76ers are contending for the Eastern Conference crown this season, and that's a tantalizing dream that is hard to turn down.
Grade: B+