The Philadelphia 76ers definitely had an itching palm this summer.
Following yet another disappointing campaign derailed by injuries and stamped with a seemingly in-theme early playoff exit, the 76ers made it a point to make a big switch this offseason. Armed with a boatload of cap space, the front office smelled blood and went on to snag the biggest fish in the open market in the form of nine-time All-Star Paul George.
The front office went on and continued to smoothen the roster out with veteran acquisitions that sought to address pressing team needs. At this juncture, the 76ers are tabbed as bona fide championship contenders, but apparently, Daryl Morey planned even bigger things for the franchise this offseason.
The 76ers were rumored to target another star after signing Paul George
Morey recently appeared on the Rights To Ricky Sanchez podcast and hinted at a major trade that almost happened after the team signed George to a four-year, max contract.
"So there was a trade, soon after Paul came, where we would've had to give up quite a few of those picks. Our payroll next year would've been $315 million. That would be ideal, we are right there."
The longtime executive didn't expressly drop a name, but aside from Utah's Lauri Markkanen, there aren't a lot of star players made available for plucking who would command multiple draft picks. Alas, the 76ers were also one of the early teams rumored to be interested in the All-Star forward to some degree.
Trading for Markkanen atop signing George would have had big implications for the team not only cap-wise, but also with regard to their financial flexibility in the near future thanks to new provisions in the CBA.
Having said that, a foursome of Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, George, and Markkanen would easily be the most talented in the NBA. The team would be incredibly top-heavy, but that amount of talent would be more than enough to win them the championship.
Still, losing out on Markkanen, if he is indeed the point of allusion here, is probably not something that keeps the Philadelphia 76ers up at night. The team has more than enough to compete for the title thanks to a more balanced roster this time around.