All the attention from the Philadelphia 76ers is aptly funneled into the looming 2025 NBA Draft, which is only a handful of days away, but as everyone already knows by now, this ball club is far from being just a single young prospect away to make a definitive leap back to title contention next season.
A lot of work needs to be done by the front office this summer, and even a constrained financial outlook is not going to change that. The franchise has made it clear that it intends to continue with its resounding win-now resolve, and it is now incumbent on the 76ers brass to make that happen through a holistic approach this offseason.
Aside from nailing the draft, making the most out of free agency will just be as important, if not more, given their short-term goals. And with this season already highlighting every roster issue that needs urgent addressing, the front office can no longer hide under the veil of uncertainty to shy away from pursuing actual solutions.
Fortunately for them, a door previoulsy believed to have already been closed has just opened once again.
The 76ers could have a feasible free agency recruitment pitch to Chris Paul after this latest development
Chris Paul, who has already signaled that he will no be retiring just yet, will enter the open market as one of the best value targets for any team in need of a playmaking boost. The 76ers fit right into that mold, but as noted before, the league-wide belief is that the future Hall of Famer will strongly prefer to return to California after spending a year in San Antonio, away from his family.
However, that may not be as true anymore. There are whispers about Paul being a major target for Dallas, a destination that makes a lot of sense for him given Kyrie Irving’s ACL injury leaving a massive void for them at point guard.
That contrived link to the Mavericks, however, is still far from a firmity. If Paul is amenable to getting far away from home to chase a significant role just like with the Spurs this past season, the 76ers should present a recruitment pitch for the former All-Star.
Philadelphia, despite its abundance of raw talent, is in dire need of a connector and a stabilizer in the half-court. Despite Paul’s advanced age, he is still an elite table-setter who brings a lot of calm and reason on the hardwood with his mere presence.
Paul should not cost much to the extent that the 76ers will have to break the bank anyway, meaning that they should similarly be aggressive to chase him in free agency.
The Philadelphia 76ers need all the help they can get for next season, and the thought of having Chris Paul stabilize them should be more than sufficient to compel the front office to put forth a strong offer for him. After all, he is still elite at the thing he does best, which is to create for others.