The Philadelphia 76ers are now looking forward to the slew of moves incumbent on them to make in the coming offseason, but they also have reasons to look much further into the future. With their championship window already on the verge of a complete closure, the front office should already be contemplating about what they can do to bolster their prospects as a collective.
Two players whom they have invested the most money in, Joel Embiid and Paul George, are not getting any younger. To make matters worse, both are riddled with injury concerns. By all likelihood, they will no longer be able to return to the level of play we have been accustomed to seeing them throughout their careers.
Put simply, the 76ers have to start plotting the possible moves they can make for the future beyond their currrent nucleus. The team does have the likes of Tyrese Maxey, Jared McCain, and Quentin Grimes, but those three will not be nearly enough to hoist them to contention, especially if Embiid fully declines as a franchise centerpiece.
Pipe dream target for the 76ers may not be obtainable after all
Giannis Antetokounmpo is regarded as perhaps the next biggest star that could be available. While the 76ers have not had any links to the two-time Most Valuable Player, any ambitious team like Philadelphia would exhaust every possible way to dip their fingers into a theoretical bidding war for his services.
Milwaukee is slowly entering a dangerous zone, and it could very well be a matter of time until the superstar asks out or hits free agency, undeterred. If so, the league could see the most explosive sweepstakes in the market since maybe Kevin Durant in the summer of 2016.
Unfortunately, it seems like the Greek Freak has already laid the groundwork for selecting his next home. Rumors say that Antetokounmpo enjoys being in New York, having kept multiple businesses there. And among the teams eyeing him as a premiere acquisition is Brooklyn.
Giannis seems to have a strong entanglement with affairs in The Big Apple, and if so, that could automatically flick the 76ers off the table. After all, if he indeed cozies up to the idea of moving on from the Bucks, the sheer practicality that New York offers in his situation could turn out to be a controlling motive.
If this patched guesswork hold water, the Philadelphia 76ers have to look elsewhere for another big-time player who can bolster their position in the future. But for now, in all likelihood, the odds of Giannis Antetokounmpo being the next great Sixer are close to nil.