Over the past few weeks, the Philadelphia 76ers have found themselves in the middle of the NBA’s biggest offseason storyline. Back at the end of June, Brooklyn Nets All-Star Kevin Durant informed the team he would like a change of scenery. While the Sixers weren’t a team mentioned early on, that all changed when the two-time Finals MVP cited Philly as a desired landing spot.
Adding fuel to the fire, Durant was seen hanging out and training with James Harden not long ago. Despite how things came to an abrupt ending in Brooklyn last season, the two former MVPs have rebuilt their relationship.
Since news surfaced of Durant eyeing Philly, fans have begun connecting the dots on a possible trade. On top of this, some analysts have spoken out about the Sixers being an ideal landing spot for the All-Star forward. Arguably the biggest roadblock for Daryl Morey pulling off a trade of this magnitude is the Nets’ high asking price.
In his latest news dump for The Athletic, NBA insider Shams Charania detailed the latest intel regarding the Durant saga. It was there he mentioned the Sixers as a team still expressing interest.
The Philadelphia 76ers expressed recent interest in Durant while the Milwaukee Bucks and Denver Nuggets also inquired with the Nets in late June and early July to. gauge the price tag, according to sources. The New Orleans Pelicans inquired with the Nets on June 30 as well but deemed All-Star Brandon Ingram as untouchable, sources said.
The Sixers continue to be linked to Durant, but Charania cited that the Boston Celtics, Miami Heat, and Toronto Raptors are the top frontrunners.
Radio Host Thinks Everyone Should be on The Table For Kevin Durant
Since he is still an elite talent and under contract for the next four years, acquiring Kevin Durant will be challenging for any team. Even more so for the Sixers, as Daryl Morey has limited assets at his disposal.
Most proposed scenarios for the Sixers to bring in Durant involve sending Tobias Harris, Tyrese Maxey, Matisse Thybulle, and two first-round picks to Brooklyn. This has sparked the debate about if the team should be willing to part ways with the 21-year-old guard after his breakout season. While discussing the scenario on “97.5 The Fanatic,” host Tyrone Johnson feels every player not named Joel Embiid should be on the table.
“This is the bind it puts me in. I want Maxey to be a 20-year Sixer because I honestly think a guy with his energy and his personality and his morals and his values make this city better,” said Johnson. “But this is Kevin Durant. You know who he is. You got to put everybody other than Embiid has to be available.”
Fans Split on What to do With Tyrese Maxey
Along with bursting on the scene last season, Tyrese Maxey has become a fan favorite in Philadelphia. His humble personality and strong work ethic have made him an easy player for fans to get attached to.
Adding Durant to the duo of Joel Embiid and James Harden easily gives the Sixers the most dominant trio in the league. However, fans remain split on if it’s worth parting ways with the young guard this early in his career.
For all you Durant fans this is why you don’t trade Maxey
Tyrese Maxey is better than Kevin Durant
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Sixers Remain Linked to Former MVP in Trade Discussions