There are opposing NBA teams expecting the Sixers to pursue trade opportunities with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, ESPN's Jonathan Givony reported Monday morning in a new mock draft.
According to Givony, those teams view the framework of a potential deal as something involving Paul George and the premium selection going to another team in exchange for a star player — including 15-time All-Star Kevin Durant, who appears almost certain to be traded from the Phoenix Suns this summer.
Givony's reporting is as follows:
"Some teams expect the Sixers to be active in trade conversations, with names such as Kevin Durant (Phoenix) and Lauri Markkanen (Utah) as potential targets in packages that could include Paul George and the No. 3 pick. Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey has made a career of being active and aggressive on the trade front, but historically, it's rare to see a top-three pick being traded." [ESPN]
Before analyzing the possibilities on their merits, it is worth providing this disclaimer: other teams whispering about the Sixers potentially making a move like this is not necessarily an indicator that it is going to happen, or even being considered at all. But the idea of using this pick to try to revive the team's short-term championship hopes has been floated by many, and this is the first known instance of it being mentioned by one of the most noteworthy reporters in draft circles.
Durant, who is entering his age-37 season, clearly remains good enough that he can put a very strong roster over the top if acquired for the right price. If the trade did follow this basic construct — George and No. 3 for Durant, perhaps with a few more minor pieces involved — the Sixers would unquestionably be better off next season. But to what end? With Joel Embiid's consistent lack of availability — and Durant is not exactly an iron man these days, either — how far is that team going in the playoffs? Because being better than the 2024-25 Sixers is not the bar that needs to be cleared if the Sixers are taking a short-term view.
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In terms of general asset value, Durant is probably more valuable than George and the No. 3 pick in a draft with two clear star-caliber prospects. Durant is entering a contract year, so any team that trades for him is not necessarily committed to long-term dollars, while George has three years and about $162 million remaining on a deal that can only be viewed as a negative asset. In a vacuum, this deal does not seem bad at all from the Sixers' perspective. But the question of Embiid's availability — more concerning in the wake of a 19-game season and additional knee surgery — looms over any move in which the Sixers could push additional chips into this iteration of their team.
And while Durant is currently on a deal that will expire after next season — he is slated to make $54.7 million in 2025-26, not much more than George — his camp will surely push for an extension upon any trade out of Phoenix. Durant would of course ask for, and receive, a massive amount of money on a per-year basis. But how long of a commitment will he be looking for? The Sixers shedding George's deal becomes less valuable if they give a similar one to Durant, even if Durant is a far better player at this juncture.
Markkanen, meanwhile, was once a dream trade target for the Sixers. Last summer, I spent hours figuring out the extremely complicated salary cap gymnastics required for the Sixers to sign George and trade for Markkanen, which was fruitless. Utah did not trade Markkanen at the peak of his value after watching the seven-footer blossom into a stellar three-level scorer.
Instead, they extended him. Markkanen inked a four-year, $195 million deal, which only begins with the 2025-26 season. And after a down season immediately following the deal, it is unclear how many teams would covet the soon-to-be 28-year-old with such a massive contract and questions about whether his first two years in Utah truly reflected what he can bring to other teams.
MORE: Ace Bailey is early favorite at No. 3
While George has three expensive years left on his deal, Markkanen has four more years to go at a very similar price point. It is a hard sell to use a pick as high as No. 3 overall to swap George for Markkanen. Could a deal like George and No. 3 for Markkanen and the No. 5 overall pick be in play? It would be wise to remain skeptical.
If anything, this entire discussion speaks to the value of the Sixers jumping in last week's NBA Draft Lottery. Not only did they safeguard their top-six protected first-rounder, but in a draft where the uncertainty begins at No. 3, it is the Sixers who hold the cards. Morey and his front office can simply draft whichever prospect they believe is the best after Cooper Flagg and Dylan Harper. But one of the more creative basketball executives in NBA history could also try to figure out ways to use the pick as a device to solve other issues with the team's current makeup.
ASKING NBA DRAFT EXPERTS ABOUT SIXERS' POSSIBLE CHOICES AT NO. 3
Ace Bailey | V.J. Edgecombe | Kon Knueppel | Derik Queen | Tre Johnson
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