The Philadelphia 76ers suffered through a brutal 2024-25 NBA season. Injuries completely derailed their hopes of the star duo of Joel Embiid and Paul George leading the way to a deep playoff run.
Both Embiid and George missed a ton of time throughout the year due to injuries. As of right now, there is not a lot of reason for optimism surrounding the 76ers.
Heading into the offseason, Philadelphia is going to be an interesting team to watch. Could the 76ers consider attempting to make a major trade to bring in a new star to play alongside Embiid?
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That is exactly what one notable NBA analyst has suggested for the team.
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Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports was looking into some possible NBA offseason trade ideas. When it came to Philadelphia, he suggested a move that would land Kevin Durant with the 76ers alongside Embiid.
“My fake trade for them, Paul George and two first-round picks for Kevin Durant,” O’Connor said. “Simple, clean, flip Paul George to Phoenix with two future firsts and get Kevin Durant back.”
Trading George and two first-round picks to land Durant would be a reasonable move for both sides. Philadelphia would be adding a player who could take over games and take pressure off of Embiid. He has had some injury issues throughout his career, but nothing close to the problems that George has had.
During the 2024-25 NBA season with the Phoenix Suns, Durant averaged 26.6 points per game to go along with six rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 1.2 blocks, while shooting 52.7 percent from the floor and 43 percent from three-point range.
In the 41 games George played with the 76ers last season, he averaged 16.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 1.8 steals per game.
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No one knows what to expect from Philadelphia this offseason. The team could stand pat and see what another season of Embiid and George can produce. Or, they could get aggressive and look to make some changes.
Only time will tell, but Durant to the 76ers would be a shocking move. It’s not impossible, but there are plenty of other teams with an interest in the 36-year-old superstar who have had discussions with the Suns as well.
Expect to hear more news and rumors about Durant in the coming days and weeks. Philadelphia could be a team to keep an eye on as a possible suitor.
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