Contrary to an earlier report, the Philadelphia 76ers are not looking to package the No. 3 pick and last year’s top free-agent acquisition, Paul George, in a blockbuster trade, according to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line.
On Monday, ESPN’s draft expert Jonathan Givony linked the Sixers to a potential blockbuster trade involving the No. 3 pick and George in his latest NBA Mock Draft.
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. 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.
However, that isn’t the case, according to Fischer, the author of “Built to Lose: How the NBA’s Tanking Era Changed the League,” which delved into the Sixers’ “The Process” era.
“Sources say that recent reports suggesting that the Sixers will be looking to explore George’s trade market in conjunction with the draft are a misread. There have been no indications that they are looking to package George with the No. 3 pick or try to move him on his own,” Fischer wrote.
George, 35, has three years left on the four-year, $212 million max deal he signed to join the Sixers last summer after the Los Angeles Clippers refused to pay him and let him walk. That exorbitant contract at his age and his injury-marred first season in Philadelphia make the nine-time NBA All-Star a negative asset.
“The Sixers surely understand that there is little-to-no chance they could optimize a trade return for the 35-year-old after his injury-riddled maiden season as a Sixer … especially with three seasons remaining on George’s max deal,” Fischer wrote.
George isn’t going anywhere unless he asks for it, Fischer added.
Daryl Morey Believes Paul George Will Bounce Back
Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty ImagesSixers President of Basketball Operations, Daryl Morey
George’s disappointing first season in the City of Brotherly Love saw his numbers dip to a 10-year-low 16.2 points on 43% shooting, 5.3 rebounds and 4.3 assists across 41 games.
It was his worst scoring season since he averaged 8.8 points in the final six games of the 2014-15 season upon his return from a gruesome leg injury with Team USA.
George was shut down in March after playing through groin, finger and knee ailments this season.
Sixers president Daryl Morey still believes in his prized free agent signing.
“That, obviously, wasn’t his best year,” Morey recently said on “The Mike Missanelli Show” on 97.5 The Fanatic. “He would come out and say that himself. I think he may have done that. We believe he’ll bounce back. He was an elite defender. Offensively, he was brought in to be part of a unit with elite play on the wing defensively, space the floor on offense, with Joel and Tyrese, and we believe that can still work.
“Obviously, we haven’t really had much of a look at that. Even when they were healthy guys, certain guys would leave the game, or Joel was not 100% where he needed to be. So we have not seen that at this point.”
Offseason Plans for Sixers’ Big 3
Photo by TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP via Getty ImagesThe Sixers’ big three: Paul George, Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey.
After a disappointing first season in Philadelphia, George plans to link up with Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey this offseason to plot a major comeback next season.
“I think that’s very important,” George told Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer. “We’ve already talked about seeing each other, where we’re going to be this summer. So we’ve already had those conversations about connecting once the season’s over. I think it’s very important. I don’t think it’s healthy to go two, three months before seeing each other, regardless of whether we’re checking in over the phone. It’s just different seeing each other.”
The Sixers’ Big 3 only played together for 15 games and posted a 7-8 record during that span.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Sixers Insider Drops Truth Bomb on Paul George, No. 3 Pick Trade Rumors appeared first on Heavy Sports.