Any team with Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey on it has a legitimate shot at mounting a deep playoff run. But the 2023-24 season always seemed like it was meant to be a transitional campaign for the Philadelphia 76ers. After James Harden requested for a trade, the 76ers prioritized bringing back expiring contracts in return so they could conceivably make a run at the summer’s biggest free agents.
According to the rumor mill, the 76ers are looking to pry Paul George away from the Los Angeles Clippers; George profiles as a hand-and-glove fit wherever he goes due to his 3 and D, shot-creating skillset, which makes him quite an attractive target for Philadelphia. But George isn’t the only star forward the 76ers are monitoring as they head into the offseason.
Per Brian Windhorst of ESPN, the 76ers could look at Jimmy Butler as a potential trade target in case Butler decides that he wants to play elsewhere on the occasion that he and the Miami Heat fail to come to terms to a contract extension.
“You don’t just have to use cap space on free agents, you can use it in trades. I think this is where Daryl Morey is gonna go to work. There’s gonna be a number of names that are gonna come up… but first name to watch is Jimmy Butler for the Miami Heat,” Windhorst said on ESPN’s Get Up.
Jimmy Butler still has two years left on his current contract, although he has a player option for the 2025-26 season. With that said, Butler is likely to hit the free-agent market in 2025, as he looks to command a final huge payday as he approaches his late 30s. It’s fair to wonder, however, if the Heat will pony up the money that’s necessary to keep him in town as they are currently staring at huge luxury tax payments.
Butler and the 76ers have history; it seems like Butler has maintained a strong relationship with Joel Embiid, so it’s likely that the 76ers come up as a plausible destination for the Heat star in the event that he wants out. However, the 76ers don’t have the assets to entice the Heat to trade Butler away. They can alleviate the Heat’s cap burden and reward them with draft picks, but the Heat would most certainly want talented young players who could help them remain competitive on the off chance that the Butler situation goes south.
Can the 76ers hit a home run as they swing for the fences?
This is going to be a crucial offseason for the 76ers. They are projected to have around $60 million in cap space, and this is the year for them to splash the cash especially when Tyrese Maxey’s next contract will soon eat into that space.
Paul George still stands out as the most realistic target. But how realistic, really, is acquiring George from the Clippers? The Clippers are set to begin their Intuit Dome era, and they would much rather run it back and pay George a lump sum instead of letting him walk without any way for them to replace his production.
Meanwhile, the Heat can only go as far as Jimmy Butler goes. It’s difficult to see the Heat letting him go in a trade to a playoff rival in the 76ers without Butler forcing the issue. And Butler doesn’t seem to have any issues with the Heat organization at the moment.
A longshot option for the 76ers is LeBron James. But at this point, James appears to be settled in Los Angeles as he plays out the final few years of his career. The 76ers can, perhaps, draft Bronny James to try and convince LeBron to head to Philly, but a lot of things have to go right for this to happen.
Philly’s other options
In the free-agent market, the 76ers could possibly make a run at DeMar DeRozan, OG Anunoby, or Pascal Siakam. All of them are familiar with Nick Nurse, with the latter two even winning a championship with the current 76ers head coach. Siakam and Embiid hail from the same country as well.
But on the trade market, another name apart from Jimmy Butler has emerged for the 76ers: Brandon Ingram.
“Another player to watch, Brandon Ingram,” Windhorst added. “The Pelicans have never paid the tax in the history of the franchise. They are set to sign Trey Murphy, a big dollar player alongside Zion Williamson. This is a player who might be on the market.”
Ingram’s contract is set to expire at the conclusion of the 2024-25 season, so trading for him is risky business. But the 76ers could possibly get him for a cut-rate deal especially after the New Orleans Pelicans forward struggled in the first-round sweep they suffered at the hands of the Oklahoma City Thunder.
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