The Philadelphia 76ers have only two players under contract this summer, Joel Embiid and Paul Reed. Tyrese Maxey is expected to re-sign with the team, but the lack of players means the 76ers have a max contract slot they can fill next to Embiid and Maxey. GM Daryl Morey has revealed the team is looking for a high-level wing in the summer.
“I would say the biggest need is not at their position — someone at the wing who can play and deliver at a high level in the playoffs. That’s the biggest need.”
Morey also clarified that he would be looking at factors such as age and health before finalizing targets.
“It’s for sure, you have to factor in everything, including age. My point is that we can’t use the fact that a lot of those key players are all in one season and now say this is some new thing. In fact, if anything, the direction of the arrow on age has been that it’s less of an impact than it has been in the past.”
Two names will jump out to everybody as the likeliest 76ers targets, Jimmy Butler and Paul George.
Beyond the two All-Star caliber wings, the 76ers could target someone younger like Brandon Ingram, who’s expected to not receive a massive contract extension from the Pelicans, similar to the situation Butler and George find themselves in.
Should The 76ers Target Paul George Or Jimmy Butler?
The 76ers have been heavily linked with George and Butler, with both veteran All-Star wings being a great fit for the franchise.
Butler has played with Philly before but left after half a season due to differences with the coaching staff, teammates, and team executives. The one person he had a great relationship with was Joel Embiid, who’d likely welcome Butler’s return. He averaged 20.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 5.0 assists this season but was unable to play in the postseason due to injury.
George was confirmed to be entering free agency earlier today by Adrian Wojnarowski, as the Clippers aren’t willing to pay George the max contract that he desires. He averaged 22.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 3.5 assists this season before averaging 19.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 4.8 assists in the postseason.
Both players are past 33 years old, so if the 76ers pursue them, they need to make sure they can win a title as soon as possible. There have been signs of both Butler and George physically declining and not performing at the level we saw them do even just a few seasons ago.
Outside of these two, another pipe dream target for the 76ers has been LeBron James. The team has reportedly considered drafting Bronny James to entice LeBron into signing with them this summer, so Philly has multiple ways to attract a star wing to complete the roster around Joel Embiid, who has entered his 30s.
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