Just days before the NBA Trade Deadline, the Sixers' path remains unclear. The team entered the season hoping to compete for an NBA championship, but with Sunday's loss sunk to 19-29 in a hellish season derailed by injuries and controversies. Now the team must consider selling at the deadline, and their prized offseason acquisition is reportedly of interest to at least a pair of other teams.
The Golden State Warriors and Atlanta Hawks have expressed interest in trading for 34-year-old Paul George, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer reported on Monday evening.
Golden State inquiring about George is no surprise; the Warriors made a spirited push to land the nine-time All-Star last summer before he opted to sign with the Sixers on a four-year max deal worth well over $200 million, and are known to be coveting a star to play alongside Stephen Curry in what has been a disappointing season. Even with George in the midst of an underwhelming campaign himself, the interest appears to still exist on Golden State's side.
Atlanta's inclusion in the conversations is a bit more surprising, as George's fit in their organizational timeline is extremely questionable and the Hawks already own a strong foursome of wings with a healthy mix of talents.
George's salary this season is just over $49 million, and trading any salary of that magnitude during the season can be an immense challenge — one which often requires three or four teams to be involved in the deal.
For Golden State to trade for George, they would almost certainly have to trade starting wing Andrew Wiggins and two or three more of their role players. Dennis Schröder, Gary Payton II, Kyle Anderson, Buddy Hield and Kevon Looney are among the names that could be discussed, while Warriors fourth-year forward Jonathan Kuminga, a polarizing player with restricted free agency months away, could be the top ask of most teams dealing with the Warriors.
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On Atlanta's side, veteran center Clint Capela and his expiring contract worth just over $22 million would almost certainly be part of any major transaction they make, while wing De'Andre Hunter has had a breakout season off the bench, putting himself in the running for the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year Award. Young defensive ace Dyson Daniels should be off the table for the Hawks, but veteran sharpshooter Bogdan Bogdanović is reportedly on the trade block.
Ultimately, the Sixers must decide if it is already worth bailing on George after spending an entire year putting themselves in position to sign him as a free agent. Has his down season been so alarming that the Sixers believe they are better off swapping him for a collection of role players and salary relief?
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