The bar has been set high for the Philadelphia 76ers this offseason, specifically in free agency, where the team would be almost unrivaled in terms of spending power. Tyrese Maxey’s extension aside, the franchise has the machinations to open up another room for a third star, a well-pronounced venture for the front office for the past few months.
With fit as the primary mover, the 76ers have seemingly zeroed in on their main target in the open market: Paul George. Conflicting reports have been put out about his willingness to leave the Clippers, but one thing’s for sure — Philly isn’t going anywhere and won’t be ducking anyone in a bidding war for the All-Star.
But what would be the Philadelphia’s immediate resort should George ultimately prove to be an elusive catch?
The 76ers are rumored to have pinpointed their Plan B this offseason
Numerous outlets have reported recently that in the scenario where the 76ers fail to come out on top in the PG-13 sweepstakes, the team would shift its focus on making a swing trade for Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram.
Ingram, a one-time All-Star, is entering the final year of his contract. However, New Orleans was reported to be posturing for a trade since getting booted out of the playoffs, aiming to use the summer to recalibrate and reshape the roster around Zion Williamson.
While he has the makings of an ideal third fiddle, the 76ers would be in a point of concession by trading for Ingram. Naturally, they would be giving up assets, most likely draft capital, in return. And having to pay a hefty price for a possible one-year rental instead of signing a readily available free agent outright isn’t ideal.
It would also be counterintuitive as the 76ers will basically waste the financial flexibility and full liberty they carefully preserved for more than a year.
Put simply, the Philadelphia 76ers have a wide array of assets and a similarly large pool of options for them to just settle for less. While trading for Brandon Ingram wouldn’t be the worst idea, it also is a bad idea to push him forward as their immediate fallback option.