NBA Rumors: Sixers linked to several star players, including a potential homecoming

Without any hesitation, as the Sixers season ends, the offseason rumors have already picked up. It would take a day or two for the dust to settle, but not this year. With a projection of $60M in cap space for Philly, it’s time to get to work.

On Friday’s edition of Get Up, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst hoped to discuss what the Sixers’ offseason could look like from a cap space perspective, free agent targets, and even trade candidates.

One of those players he mentioned was a player who once shared the floor with Joel Embiid.

Windy on the Sixers potential offseason plans

"The player at the top of their list is Paul George."@WindhorstESPN thinks the Sixers are going to give PG-13 a max contract offer in free agency, and will look to monitor Jimmy Butler and Brandon Ingram's situations 👀 pic.twitter.com/bRVVY1XeeO

— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) May 3, 2024

Paul George has been linked to the Sixers for several weeks. On March 28th, it was reported that the team’s desire to sign the nine-time All-Star “is the NBA’s worst-kept secret.” Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer said that some in the league expect a deal between the two sides. 

This gets interesting because the Clippers are trying to manipulate PG’s extension like they did with Kawhi Leonard. Leonard signed a three-year $153 million deal in January. However, he could sign for up to four years and $223 million. Meanwhile, the Clippers are still in the playoffs, trailing the Dallas Mavericks 2-3 in their series. 

As for Jimmy Butler, this coming year will be the final guaranteed season of Butler’s current contract. He’s set to make $48.8 million and has a $52.4 million player option for 2025-26. If there were ever a time for the Miami Heat to trade Butler back to the Sixers, now would be the time, as his value still seems high, even at 34.