Getty Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers.
The Philadelphia 76ers have multiple paths forward this offseason, including a trade.
With Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey – who is poised to land a $205 million contract this offseason – as foundational pieces, they can look to build out their depth or add a star.
“If the Philadelphia 76ers don’t land a superstar like LeBron James, Paul George or Jimmy Butler this summer, Dejounte Murray would be a nice consolation prize,” Bleacher Report’s Greg Swartz wrote on June 23. “Letting Murray operate as the lead ball-handler for stretches opens up more off-ball opportunities for Maxey.”
Murray, 27, is coming off a career year for the Hawks, averaging 22.5 points per game. He also averaged 6.4 assists and 5.3 rebounds and shot 36.3% on a career-high 7.1 three-point attempts per game last season.
More importantly in this context, Murray showed what he could do as a lead guard.
Murray averaged 24.8 points and 9.2 assists while shooting with Trae Young out of the lineup for 23 games after finger surgery.
He is beginning a four-year, $114 million contract and carries a $25.2 million cap hit in 2024-25, which would still leave the Sixers with roughly $40 million in cap space to fill out the rest of the roster as they see fit.
Whether or not the Sixers can craft a suitable package depends on the Hawks.
Proposed 76ers Trade Sends Hawks ‘Plenty’ for Dejounte Murray
ESPN’s Jonathan Givony wrote on June 20 that three first-round picks, “should be plenty to land the 2020-21 All-Star, Murray, from the Hawks.” He was talking about the Los Angeles Lakers specifically, though. The Sixers’ future appears brighter with younger stars to build around.
That could make their draft picks less valuable in trade talks. Still, they can trade up to five first-round picks on draft night, potentially setting the stage for a blockbuster draft-night deal.
The Sixers could offer the Hawks first-rounders in 2024, 2026, 2028, 2029, and 2031.
Sixers get:
– Dejounte Murray
Hawks get:
– 2024 first-round pick (No. 16 overall)
– 2026 first-round pick
– 2028 first-round pick
The Sixers could entice the Hawks with draft capital that conveys sooner than the Lakers’ picks would. Givony’s example includes the No. 17 pick. However, the final two picks would not be conveyed until 2029 and 2031.
Again, this would be a fall-back option if the Sixers missed out on all of their top targets.
Insider: Sixers Still in on Paul George
The Sixers’ potential pursuit of George seemingly took a hit amid reports that they had cooled on the nine-time All-Star. That could all be a smokescreen, though, amid new reports that rival organizations are not buying it.
The Philadelphia 76ers’ interest in pursuing Paul George has significantly waned in recent days, and the franchise is expected to be aggressive elsewhere with its salary cap flexibility and draft capital leading into next week’s NBA Draft, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.
“I am struggling to pinpoint third-party teams that put much stock in the recent leakage suggesting that the 76ers have cooled on the idea of pursuing George,” The Stein Line’s Marc Stein wrote on June 23. “Only the Sixers know their true intentions, but let’s just say there will be a healthy bit of skepticism leaguewide about the Sixers bowing out completely until PG-13 has either come to terms with the Clippers or landed somewhere other than Philly.”
George has a $48.8 million player option in the final year of a four-year, $176.6 million contract.
He seeks a deal with more years or money than teammate Kawhi Leonard, per Stein. Leonard inked a three-year, $152.4 million extension in January.