The Philadelphia 76ers are just a tad over a month away from being in the draft room and making a very important phone call that could swing their fortunes not only in the present, but also in the future.
Holding the third overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, the 76ers have a grand opportunity to select an elite prospect that could eventually bloom into a franchise centerpiece. This year’s pool of rookies is a highly touted one, making it unlikely that the franchise ends up making a monumental mistake though another painful omission.
Yet despite having the makings of what could be a sterling bounce-back, the 76ers seem to enjoy playing with the fire. With Daryl Morey still being their lead decision-maker, it could only be a matter of time until the team raises the curtain to a huge shocker on draft night.
The 76ers trading for Kevin Durant would be a colossal mistake
Reports on the 76ers’ current disposition with such a lofty lottery pick have vacillated. There have been murmurs about the team seriously entertaining trade offers for their selection, but there are also strong signs that point to the franchise staying put and making things simple by, well, just picking a prospect.
However, given the team’s volatile footing, the trade rumors have once again surrounded the team. Just a short while ago, ESPN reported that some league personnel expect the 76ers to leverage the No. 3 pick to enable them to trade Paul George for another established star. Two players — Kevin Durant and Lauri Markkanen — were highlighted.
Both of those stars profile as seamless fits in Philly, but the Durant deal in particular is an ugly hypothetical. While the future hall-of-famer is still an elite star, dealing with Phoenix right now should be deemed a cardinal sin.
The Suns have three, bona fide stars they can trade, but given their cap situation, they cannot aggregate players in a trade. But more importantly, Phoenix has an absolute dearth of pot sweeteners to incentivize a team like the 76ers to part with such a prized asset as the third overall pick.
Phoenix almost has no control over its first-round draft picks for a huge chunk of their immediate future. Really, forcing the issue and wasting the No. 3 pick on a KD trade just to get rid of George, which is honestly not as big of an issue as of the moment to warrant such a hasty maneuver, is front office malpractice.
Hopefully, the Philadelphia 76ers find reason in exercising patience and not just going for name value. The franchise can no longer afford to make such rash decisions. Otherwise, they will only dig another grave for themselves.