Sixers Could Make Blockbuster Paul George Trade This Summer

The Philadelphia 76ers were projected to compete for the championship this season after signing Paul George last summer. The team's "Big 3" of George, Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey looked dangerous on paper. 

However, the Sixers were a walking disaster this season. They won only 24 games and were so bad that they didn't even qualify for the play-in tournament. 

Philadelphia's poor season netted them the third overall pick in this year's draft. ESPN is predicting that the Sixers will draft Airious "Ace" Bailey out of Rutgers with the third pick. 

However, according to Jonathan Givony of ESPN, some teams expect the Sixers to offer George and the third pick for Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant or Utah Jazz big man Lauri Markkanen. 

"Some teams expect the Sixers to be active in trade conversations, with names such as Kevin Durant (Phoenix) and Lauri Markkanen (Utah) as potential targets in packages that could include Paul George and the No. 3 pick," Givony wrote. "Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey has made a career of being active and aggressive on the trade front, but historically, it's rare to see a top-three pick being traded."

George appeared in only 41 games in his first season with the Sixers. He averaged 16.2 points while shooting 43.0% from the field and 35.8% from beyond the arc. The nine-time All-Star will make $51.7 million next season.