Grade the Trade: 76ers swap their future for controversial star in clutch proposal

Should the 76ers ultimately trade for Paul George?

Despite the merits bequeathed with trading for Paul George in the aspect of on-court viability and assets management, the 76ers would be unwise to peg such a framework as a go-to, especially on draft night.

Overlooked in this discussion is the fact that the 76ers have the means to sign him outright if they wanted to with their mammoth cap space. Alternatively, should the Clippers manage to re-sign the All-Star, there is no shortage of options for star-thirsty Philly with the likes of Brandon Ingram being obtainable via trade and OG Anunoby now becoming a bigger flight risk after the Knicks’ trade.

The Clippers’ future first-round picks should be very valuable down the line. Their team is veteran-heavy and littered with players approaching the end of their primes. There’s a sizeable chance that those picks end up as lucrative assets the 76ers can hedge against in the future to better position themselves in case they go through a teardown of their own.

Ultimately, the Philadelphia 76ers would be much better off simply staying away from the Paul George sweepstakes as they have already been reported to. With free agency still on its nesting phase, the front office should be able to bolster the roster drastically without conceding anything of value for the future. And if they do decide to flip their draft capital, doing so for a declining 34-year-old is unlikely to pay off.

Grade: C