Why the 76ers should do this trade
The 76ers are making it a priority to lure Paul George out of Hollywood and sign him in free agency. But having said that, is the franchise realy comfortable tendering a 4-5 year max contract to a 34-yeaar-old? For now, the answer seems to be yes, but the situation is also not fully within their control as the Clippers are basically handcuffed into riding their aging core regardless.
Nevertheless, Ingram would be a nice pivot for Philadelphia’s brass. He’s still just 26 years old with an All-Star appearance in a crazy talented Western Conference, and more importantly., he actually fills a need for the 76ers. After all, he can be safely penciled in as a third star at a position where the team currently needs literal bodies with all of their forwards approaching free agency.
Paying three first-round picks in exchange is a steep cost at face value, but not when you take into account the proposed protections. Paul Reed is also a gimme at this juncture. Really, if the 76ers are hellbent on adding a star, a one-year trial with Ingram with the strong prospect of eventually signing him to a non-max deal can be attractive compared to, say, maxing out George and essentially sapping the team out of financial ammo they can use to surround the roster with ideal complements.