With the trade deadline approaching and blockbuster trades involving Anthony Davis, Luka Doncic, De’Aaron Fox, and Zach Lavine taking place, rumors are swirling, including for the Philadelphia 76ers. Since the Davis and Doncic trade swap, it feels like almost anything can happen, and teams are pressing to see if they can get superstars around the league, including the Sixers’ Paul George.
According to the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Keith Pompey, Sixers star Paul George has caught the interest of the Atlanta Hawks and Golden State Warriors. Sources tell the Inquirer that the Atlanta Hawks and Golden State Warriors have expressed interest in acquiring George ahead of Thursday’s 3 p.m. trade deadline.” With George’s slow start to the season due to injury and inconsistent play, teams are trying to gauge if the Sixers are willing to trade him for pieces.
Golden State was interested in the summer before he signed with the Sixers and trade to complete a sign and trade with the Clippers before that fell through. Pompey wrote, “Even though sources said the Sixers are gagging at the interest, the belief around the league is he’ll only get moved for a home-run deal.” Golden State has reportedly been calling on all the superstars in the league to try to pair with Stephen Curry as his prime dwindles down. What could a possible deal from the Warriors or Hawks look like to pry George away from Philly?
Making a deal with Atlanta
It’s surprising to hear that the Atlanta Hawks would be interested in Paul George, but with Jalen Johnson out for the season, they are trying to stay afloat in the play-in tournament standings. If the Sixers entertained sending George to the ATL, a package would have to look like the following:
Sixers/ Hawks trade
Atlanta Hawks
Paul George
Philadelphia 76ers
De’Andre Hunter
Bogdan Bogdanovic
Dyson Daniels
In this deal, the Sixers get back Hunter and Bogdanovic, two wings who could help carry some scoring load. Hunter could also be a nice defensive piece. The prize would be the young Dyson Daniels, who has taken his opportunity in Atlanta and turned into a shutdown defensive guard with high upside. Daniels could be a perfect fit next to Maxey and McCain in the future.
The Hawks would be hard-pressed to give up Daniels and would probably prefer to include a player like Larry Nance Jr. in the deal. If the Sixers weren’t getting Daniels back in a potential deal, they wouldn’t even consider it unless there was a haul of draft capital.
Striking a deal with the bay
After it became clear that Paul George wasn’t going back to the Clippers, he tried to work his way to the Golden State Warriors via sign-and-trade. It didn’t work out because the Clippers truly weren’t interested in taking back large salaries that did not align with their plans.
Not only did Pompey report that the Warriors were still interested in George, but ESPN Senior Insider Shams Charania reported that they had called the Sixers about George. What could a potential package look like for the Sixers to entertain?
Golden State Warriors
Paul George
Andre Drummond
Philadelphia 76ers
Andrew Wiggins
Gary Payton II
Jonathan Kuminga
Gui Santos
If it were just a two-team trade, the Sixers and Warriors would have a hard time reaching an agreement on trading Paul George. Matching George’s $49 million salary would be difficult, and Daryl Morey and Warriors’ GM Mike Dunleavy Jr. would likely disagree on draft pick compensation for each team.
The Sixers would take on Wiggins’ two remaining years, which some may deem a negative asset. Getting Jonathan Kuminga would be the prize of the deal with his potential, and they could extend him to match Tyrese Maxey‘s prime, which could end up being the one-two punch of the future.
Ultimately, it seems unlikely that the Sixers would be blown away from a deal directly from Atlanta or Golden State. Although George has had a rough start to his tenure in Philly, he still provides them with the best chance to win with all of the stars healthy, but with the Luka Doncic trade in the rearview, anything is possible.
