After posting a 24-58 record this past season, the complete opposite of what they were intending to do, the Philadelphia 76ers are looking for a reset. A hard reset.
With last year’s marquee signing Paul George having disappointed in his first season in Philadelphia, it seems they want another established star to join. Every name of substance on the NBA’s trade rumour market currently has had their name attached to the franchise. And having won the #3 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft Lottery, the Sixers are reportedly keen to yield it as a weapon in trade – especially if they can attach George’s contract in the process.
Durant Is Certainly Available
One name that keeps cropping up is that of Phoenix Suns forward, Kevin Durant.
The Suns are going nowhere, slowly, while Durant is nearing his forties and the end of his career. Unable to trade Bradley Beal, unwilling to trade Devin Booker, and yet unable to do nothing considering they did not even make the play-in tournament, the Suns will make Durant available by default. They have to do something, and he will have suitors.
Rumours and proposals have abounded as to how the Sixers can get in on that. So widespread is the assumption that the Sixers will make a run at Durant that former 76er Marcus Morris felt the need to speak out, counselling caution against overfiddling and the excessive pursuit of immediate goals over patience.
With 24-year-old All-Star guard Tyrese Maxey on the team, breakout rookie Jared McCain alongside him, and now a top three pick as a reprieve for a lost there exists a school of thought that the Sixers should disregard the Joel Embiid timeline and play for the future. At a battle-weary, oft-injured 31, Embiid’s career trajectory from here is only pointing downwards, while Maxey and McCain have at least a decade in front of them.
The Sixers, though, are seemingly going to try and make another push for the now. Just not, it now appears, through a trade for Durant.
Sixers Will Go In Another Direction
Marc Stein, veteran NBA reporter with far too much credibility to even begin to document, has rebuffed the Durant rumours. In an appearance on PHNX Sports, the Stein Line author shared how that whenever he asked, any Sixers interest in KD has been “strongly debunked”.
“I know there was the chatter this week about Philly and having possible interest. When Iâve checked out that scenario, itâs been strongly debunked to me. I do not think Philly is in the market for trying to pursue Kevin Durant. So yeah, I donât foresee the Sixers emerging as a candidate there. Look, I think thereâs really nothing new at this point. The consistent word on this has been that the Suns and Team Durant are going to work together on a possible resolution, if that is indeed the direction theyâre going to go.”
– Marc Stein
If true, Durant will still have other suitors, and should be expected to be joining the fifth franchise of his career at some point in the next few weeks. Moving away from Durant, though, does not mean the Sixers are moving away from the Embiid timeline.
Other names available on the market, or hypothesised to be, are myriad. Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks will be top of the shop, if made available, while others including Lauri Markkanen of the Utah Jazz keep cropping up. If the Sixers are resolute in their desire to make a trade for a veteran, rather than waiting for the optimum fruits of the Maxey/McCain/#3 trifecta, then a big name deal should also be expected to happen in the next few weeks.
For now, though, it seems that Durant will not be a Sixers player.
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