Getty Matisse Thybulle #22 and Tyrese Maxey #0 of the Philadelphia 76ers.
Following recent developments, the Philadelphia 76ers find themselves in the middle of the NBA’s biggest storylines. Kevin Durant listed Philly among his desired landing spots, along with the Boston Celtics.
Since this news surfaced, the two-time Finals MVP has been spotted hanging out with former teammate and Sixers star James Harden. This has caused fans to connect all possible dots that could lead to a blockbuster trade going down.
Along with Sixers fans, some analysts believe Philly could be the best situation for Durant if he does land a change of scenery. However, due to having limited at their disposal, Daryl Morey will be fighting an uphill battle as he attempts to add another superstar trade to his resume.
Recently, the people over at Bleacher Report came up with one trade to bolster each NBA team’s starting lineup. As expected, the Sixers acquire the disgruntled All-Star forward. In the scenario, they part ways with Tobias Harris, Tyrese Maxey, Matisse Thybulle, and two first-round picks in exchange for Durant.
Durant teaming up with James Harden for a third time would be something, considering how poorly things ended in Brooklyn, but Frank Isola reported that Durant “would like” to reunite with his former running mate. Having Durant, Harden and Joel Embiid on the same roster feels like a cheat code. Putting them in the same closing group as P.J. Tucker and insert-fifth-Sixer here (De’Anthony Melton? Danuel House Jr?) could be the key to unlocking this team’s championship potential.
Analyst Sees Sixers as Contenders With or Without Kevin Durant
Whether the Sixers push for a Durant trade or not, there is no denying it has been a successful offseason for the team. Daryl Morey bolstered the supporting cast around the big three and did so without giving up any rotational pieces from last year.
Along with signing Danuel House and P.J. Tucker, Morey landed two-way guard De’Anthony Melton in a trade on draft night. Following their flurry of moves, ESPN’s Bobby Marks sees the Sixers as a finals threat with or without adding Durant.
I had them as a team that can certainly be talked about as a conference finalist tier when you added P.J. Tucker and Danuel House. Tyrese Maxey, another year of development here. As I said, James Harden, I see as a top three MVP candidate… But I see this team, even if they ever did do a Durant trade, this team I think could be one of those teams that are going to be standing when we’re all said and done here.
Podcast Host Trolls Sixers Group Photo
Along with getting ready for this upcoming season, Tobias Harris celebrated a major life achievement this summer. The veteran forward got married, with multiple teammates in attendance to celebrate the big moment.
Photos have begun to surface from the reception, including one of Harris, Maxey, Thybulle, and Georges Niang. With everything going on, “Rights to Ricky Sanchez” host Spike Eskin used this as an opportunity to poke fun at the team. He posted the photo on Twitter, calling them “Brooklyn’s finest,” in reference to the Durant sweepstakes.