Philadelphia 76ers expected to move on from Paul George and explore other options

According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, the Philadelphia 76ers’ interest in signing Paul George has diminished, and they are expected to pursue other options with their considerable cap space and draft capital.

The reports that there’s now a lack of interest between Paul George and the 76ers have come as a huge surprise after months of speculation suggested that the Los Angeles Clippers star was the number one target for Daryl Morey and the 76ers this Summer.

The 76ers may want to pursue a different direction due to George approaching 34 years old and seeking a max contract that could affect the team’s cap space.

“What is interesting to me is that the Clippers are very aware that somebody is going to offer [Paul George] a four-year max contract — wether it’s the 76ers or the Magic, or a team could even trade for him … the Clippers know all this is gonna go on, and yet they’re still not…

— Philly Sixers Galaxy (@sixers_galaxy) June 17, 2024

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The 76ers were willing to offer a max contract to Paul George, while the Clippers seemed hesitant to do so, making George’s move to Philadelphia a possibility.

The 76ers’ decision to back out on Paul George may seem illogical if recent reports are accurate. This suggests that the Clippers may have changed their stance and are now willing to offer George a max contract, with Philadelphia being informed of this development.

While Paul George was viewed as Philadelphia’s primary target throughout the early stages of this offseason, there’s still a variety of routes that the 76ers can go. Philadelphia has been linked to a lot of notable trade targets and free agents throughout this week, so the 76ers’ sudden disinterest in acquiring George may not be a coincidence. 

Brandon Ingram linked to 76ers

The 76ers were linked to two all-star level players, including New Orleans Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram. The Pelicans have reportedly contacted Philadelphia and the Houston Rockets about a potential trade involving Brandon Ingram, according to The Athletic’s Kelly Iko.

Brandon Ingram had a solid 2023-2024 season, with per-game averages of 20.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 5.7 assists, which could be a huge lift for the 76ers as the third option behind Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. His 57.8% true-shooting was slightly below the NBA average.

Hypothetically, if Brandon Ingram became the 76ers’ third option, he could benefit from better quality shooting opportunities, potentially improving his subpar efficiency. At 26 years old, Ingram would bring much-needed youth to Philadelphia’s roster, forming a solid foundation alongside Maxey for the future, including a potential post-Joel Embiid era.

However, there are some downsides to Philadelphia potentially trading for Brandon Ingram, the first being his contract. Heading into the 2024-2025 season, Ingram is entering the final year of his five-year max contract that would pay him approximately $36 million. 

Brandon Ingram could serve almost as a worst case scenario. If Paul George falls through and the Sixers strike out on Jimmy Butler or any non-PG free agents, then Philadelphia should look into this https://t.co/afbpLIp0Un

— Jacob Moreno (@jmoreno76ers) June 20, 2024

The 76ers would need to be willing to offer Ingram a max contract in 2025 if they trade for him, as they would have to give up a significant amount of draft capital due to having just four players under contract.

Brandon Ingram is also coming off a very disappointing performance in the playoffs against the Oklahoma City Thunder, getting swept while averaging 14.3 points per game with low shooting percentages.

The 76ers need a reliable third star for the postseason. Brandon Ingram faced defensive pressure and OKC was able to lock-in on him with Zion Williamson sidelined, but playing alongside Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey could produce different results.

There’s a great amount of concern amongst 76ers fans revolving around Brandon Ingram’s playstyle with some calling him “Tobias Harris 2.0”.

While Ingram is a high-volume shooter, he’s steadily improved as a playmaker over the past few seasons and with Nick Nurse as his coach, he’d tap into his defensive potential, similarly to how Kelly Oubre Jr. reinvented himself this past season.

Zach LaVine attached to 76ers

The second all-star level player that the 76ers were connected to was wing Zach LaVine from the Chicago Bulls. According to K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago, the Bulls have proposed trade packages centered around LaVine to Philadelphia along with other teams:

“It’s why Zach LaVine’s future isn’t the only trade scenario that has been discussed, even if sources said [Bulls executive] Artūras Karnišovas has floated as many as 15 proposals centered on the two-time All-Star guard to various teams including the Sacramento Kings, Orlando Magic and Philadelphia 76ers.”

With a 28-year-old Zach LaVine entering the third year of his five-year/$215.2 million contract that will give him an annual salary of $43 million next season, it’s no wonder why the Bulls are struggling to find a trade partner that would take on LaVine’s overpay of a contract.

Amid the 2023-2024 season, Zach LaVine’s trade value was reportedly at an all-time low and some believed that the Bulls would have to attach assets to get off his contract via trade. Fast forward to the current day and there’s reportedly a “growing market” for LaVine via Joe Cowley of Chicago Sun Times.

Regardless, the 76ers shouldn’t be interested in a LaVine trade in any way, shape, or form, especially with the Bulls shipping off Alex Caruso to Oklahoma City in exchange for Josh Giddey. Caruso would’ve been a perfect fit next to Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey with his all-defensive caliber talents and efficient spot-up shooting.

Without Caruso thrown into a hypothetical Zach LaVine trade package, there’s no reason that Philadelphia should give it any thought.

A notable issue for the 76ers this offseason will be the lack of player assets, which will force them to rely on draft capital in any potential trade. Simply put, LaVine on that egregious contract is not worth any valuable draft capital Philadelphia has unless Chicago attaches other assets.

Even then, the 76ers have been associated with other players such as New York Knicks forward OG Anunoby and Denver Nuggets guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope earlier this week. Either one of those options or Brandon Ingram are better situations for Philadelphia.

In his exit press conference, Daryl Morey mentioned that he and the 76ers front office have multiple offseason plans and with Paul George seemingly off the board, we’ll likely see these plans put into effect.

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