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The Philadelphia 76ers are reportedly exploring trade options involving the No. 3 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, with the intent of offloading Paul George’s contract as part of the deal.
According to Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune, the 76ers have had discussions with the Utah Jazz about a potential trade-down scenario. Larsen shared the information during Thursday’s episode of the Locked On Jazz podcast, suggesting Philadelphia is actively looking to move down to the No. 5 pick in an effort to shed George’s deal.
“I do think it’s true that the Philadelphia 76ers are interested in trading down to No. 5 potentially if they can get off the Paul George deal,” Larsen said. “That may not make sense given how long that contract is and how I think Paul George was [last year]. I don’t think the Jazz are going to take that offer, but do think that’s an offer that’s been presented.”
The 76ers signed George last offseason to a four-year, $211.5 million contract. He struggled in his first season in Philadelphia, appearing in only 41 games while averaging 16.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 1.8 steals per game. The 35-year-old shot 43% from the field and 35.8% from three-point range.
76ers exploring draft movement with Jazz as Paul George trade-down rumors surface
Philadelphia’s interest in moving from the No. 3 spot has gained traction in recent days, with reports indicating the franchise has explored both trading down and moving up in the 2025 NBA Draft. The 76ers have reportedly held discussions with the Utah Jazz about a potential trade down to No. 5 and could also attempt to trade up to No. 2 with the San Antonio Spurs. Despite the speculation, there has been no indication from the team itself regarding any intent to move Paul George or attach him to a pick.
The draft will take place June 25–26 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, and will air on ABC and ESPN beginning at 8:00 p.m. ET. The 76ers currently hold the No. 3 overall selection, while the Jazz own the No. 5 pick.
Larsen’s report suggests that while Philadelphia has floated the concept of attaching George to its pick, the offer may not be appealing enough for Utah to act on it. George’s remaining three years under a maximum deal — coupled with his age and injury history — could limit his trade value.
The Jazz, meanwhile, are considered a team with cap flexibility and an interest in building through the draft, but it remains unclear whether they would consider absorbing a high-salary veteran at this stage of their rebuild.
Whether the 76ers follow through on such a move remains to be seen, but the rumor adds another layer of intrigue heading into next week’s draft.
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Report: Suns Turned Down This Offer for First-Round Pick
Remember the 2026 unprotected first-rounder the New Orleans Pelicans sent to the Atlanta Hawks to move up and draft and take Derik Queen 13th overall? Well, the Phoenix Suns were offered the same package and denied it. John Hollinger for The Athletic revealed in a piece analyzing every NBA Summer League disappointment -- which included Phoenix's No. 10 pick Khaman Maluach -- revealed the Suns were offered the same package from New Orleans so they could trade up earlier in the 2025 NBA Draft. "Could the Suns have done what Atlanta did and walked away from the draft with an unprotected future first from the Pelicans and the 23rd pick instead of staying at No. 10?" Hollinger wrote. "Discussion over whether Phoenix fumbled the bag by not taking the New Orleans offer will only heighten if Maluach can’t give the Suns a quality big. "Phoenix opted to take the Duke project, and I’ll emphasize the word “project” here; his was a rough entry to professional basketball. The 7-1 Maluach only posted a 13.5 percent rebound rate, took nearly half his shots from 3 and had one assist in 70 minutes. Watching from courtside made me more concerned about his hands, as contested rebounds and alley-oop opportunities escaped him at times." An enticing offer, for sure, but Maluach was on Phoenix's radar all along. And a few indecent moves in the past may have dissuaded the front office from making another seismic trade like this, despite that unprotected 2026 Pelicans pick having a great chance of becoming AJ Dybantsa. Nonetheless, the Suns stuck to their guns and took Maluach as a potential cornerstone big man for the foreseeable future. Khaman Maluach Evaluation Maluach overcame a lot in his life to make it to the NBA growing up as a South Sudanese refugee. His journey started in the NBA Academy just over four years ago, which is when he first started playing organized basketball. The 7-foot-1, 253-pound big man showed flashes of frontcourt dominance in his lone year at Duke. Maluach averaged 8.6 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game with the Blue Devils and, while admittedly being work in progress offensively, he has the defensive intangibles to be incredibly disruptive as a post defender. He's drawn comparisons from the likes of Kristaps Porzingis and Rudy Gobert. An optimistic ceiling, of course, but as I said, he has a lot of room to grow as an 18-year-old who has only been playing basketball since he was 13 years old. Maluach comes to The Valley as a likely backup center to Mark Williams and the big man of the future for new head coach Jordan Ott. Phoenix Suns Latest News
Browns make curious decision with rookie QB Shedeur Sanders
The Cleveland Browns are giving Shedeur Sanders special treatment in training camp, but it's not the type of favoritism the fifth-round pick would necessarily want. Per Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN, Sanders is the only Browns quarterback who has not been taking reps with the first-team offense during OTAs or the first two practices of training camp. Former Pittsburgh Steelers first-round pick Kenny Pickett, veteran Joe Flacco and rookie Dillon Gabriel have all split reps with the first team. Despite being asked to throw passes to members of the equipment staff amid a shortage of professional pass-catchers for a four-quarterback roster, Sanders said he's thankful for the opportunity to show the Browns coaching staff his talents. "I feel like that it's not in my control, so I'm not going to think about that or even have that in my thought process of why it is," Sanders said to a question as to why he's not getting first-team reps. "There's a lot of people who want to have the opportunity to be at this level, and I'm here and I'm thankful to have the opportunity. So, whenever that is, that is." Sanders, 23, believes that he can contribute more to the Browns than what the coaching staff is asking of him. "It doesn't make me feel down or left out because I know who I am as a person," Sanders said. "I know who I am as an individual and I know what I could bring to this team. So, I can never feel less than any circumstance." The Browns selected Sanders with the No. 144 pick in April's draft. As a player whom many draft analysts thought was a first-round talent, Cleveland took what could be the steal of the draft in the fifth round. It's curious why the Browns aren't giving Sanders a shot with the first team early in training camp before the quarterback race becomes more serious. Cleveland should see what Sanders has to offer this summer. Flacco, 40, isn't a long-term solution at the position. Pickett failed in Pittsburgh. The Browns need to gauge what rookies Gabriel and Sanders can do with the first team. Having Sanders throw balls to the equipment staff is a waste of everyone's time. But then again, Cleveland has wasted plenty of quarterbacks.
Observations from Dallas Cowboys' first padded practice: Tyler Booker handles business, late-round rookie impresses, and more
The Dallas Cowboys got one step closer to regular season form by wearing pads for the first time in training camp. Below are some of the main takeaways from Sunday's practice in Oxnard, California, starting off with a couple of notes on rookies. Jaydon Blue's skills translate with pads on Blue was turning heads early in camp but it's always hard to tell the difference between a tackle or a big play when defenders are essentially playing tag instead of hitting players. Well, Blue looked promising even in pads, with the play below being the highlight of the day as he jukes Markquese Bell to break free for the extra yardage. The fifth-round rookie also showed off his speed as a receiver more than once. Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders are seeing the most playing time with the starters but Blue is off to a great start. Tyler Booker stacks highlights vs. Osa Odighizuwa It was a good day for the Cowboys' first-round rookie and projected starting right guard Tyler Booker. The play that stood out the most was a reach block on Osa Odighizuwa that sent the defensive lineman to the ground, opening a hole for Javonte Williams. ln a play-action play, Booker joined forces with center Cooper Beebe to take Odighizuwa out of the play. After a double block sent the defender to the ground, Booker blocked Odighizuwa with fully-extended arms to keep him away from Dak Prescott. Cowboys HC Brian Schottenheimer said ahead of practice that Booker had hit a bit of a wall leading to him working with the second-team the day before. He sure bounced back. Cowboys showing off a jumbo package Schottenheimer and offensive coordinator Klayton Adams have said the Cowboys will run a physical offense. In short yardage situations, that might mean running six offensive lineman onto the field. Asim Richards and Saahdiq Charles have both been used as a sixth OL/TE at practice. Below is a play where Charles even motions from one side to the OL to the other. The personnel grouping below includes fullback Hunter Luepke leading the way for the running back. Terence Steele participates in pads Earlier in training camp, right tackle Terence Steele suffered an ankle sprain that knocked him out of practice, raising concern for his availability moving forward. That concern is turning out to be short-lived. Steele was back Sunday, a major development for the first practice in pads. However, he didn't participate in team drills. Even so, the Cowboys appear to have dodged a major bullet as the injury was a high ankle sprain, which can be a headache for players. Steele wore tape on his ankle Sunday.
Cardinals Trade Deadline Direction Finally Reportedly Revealed
With just four days to go until the 2025 Major League Baseball trade deadline, it sounds like the St. Louis Cardinals have decided which direction they are going to go in. As the deadline has gotten closer, questions have popped up whether the Cardinals are going to buy, sell, or stand pat. Obviously, there aren't many options outside of these three, but everything has seemingly been on the table because the Cardinals are right around .500 and within range of a playoff spot, but also not guaranteed anything. The Cardinals' recent struggles have seemingly confirmed that the club is going to look to sell, per The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal. "The Cardinals are preparing to sell," Rosenthal said. "The (San Francisco Giants), however, plan to buy, seeking a second baseman and starting pitcher. And the Reds are targeting a middle-of-the order bat and bullpen help." The Athletic's Katie Woo reported that the Cardinals have made Ryan Helsley, Phil Maton, and Steven Matz available. "As the St. Louis Cardinals teeter above .500, president of baseball operations John Mozeliak has started to field calls regarding many of his players, not just pending free agents," Woo said. "Though the Cardinals have not publicly declared their intent to sell, Mozeliak has reached out to teams to inform them relievers Ryan Helsley, Phil Maton and Steven Matz are available, according to multiple league sources. All three pitchers will be free agents at the end of the season. Reliever JoJo Romero is also drawing interest from rival clubs, though he will not be a free agent until 2027." It doesn't sound like a complete firesale is imminent, but it does seem like St. Louis will look different come August 1st with a few subtractions potentially coming.
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