The Philadelphia 76ers seem to be setting themselves up for a blockbuster trade around draft time; could the Boston Celtics be involved?
Rumors are swirling that Philly is shopping the No. 3 overall pick in the draft.
That means that 76ers GM Daryl Morey isn't as interested in a stud prospect like Ace Bailey as much as acquiring a win-now piece. With Joel Embiid being 31 years old, such a strategy sort of makes sense if you're Morey.
On the one hand, Morey's wisest move would be to try and trade Embiid and build something new and fresh and Tyrese Maxey, but if Morey is intent on continuing with Embiid as the centerpiece of the franchise, the No. 3 pick might not hold as much value as, say, a Kevin Durant.
Hold on, maybe Durant wouldn't even be a smart asset to acquire in exchange for the No. 3. Remember, this is a talented draft class with a handful of potential All-Stars at the top. Snagging the 36-year-old KD for a couple of years when you could have drafted a franchise cornerstone for the next 15 years might be a head-scratching idea for Morey.
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One NBA writer, Bleacher Report's Greg Swartz, doesn't think going after KD is a good idea for Morey.
However, Swartz proposed another star (this one in his prime) that Philly could land for the No. 3 pick.
"Talks of the Philadelphia 76ers potentially swapping the No. 3 overall pick and Paul George for Kevin Durant or Lauri Markkanen would be foolish," Swartz wrote on Tuesday.
"If the Sixers could land (Boston Celtics' Jaylen) Brown instead, however, Philly should pull the trigger. Such a move would likely have (Paul) George rerouted to a third team, assuming the Celtics would want to clear salary by moving Brown."
Wow. Swartz is right -- if Morey had any chance of getting Brown using George's awful contract and the No. 3 pick, that would be an obvious win for the 76ers.
A Maxey-Brown duo (forget about Embiid) would be enough to keep this team's playoff hopes alive.
The problem is, Brown might never become available. Celtics GM Brad Stevens didn't give any indication that he'd be open to fireworks this summer.
The most likely scenario for the 2025-26 Celtics without Jayson Tatum (Achilles) is to try and salvage a playoff spot with Brown as the centerpiece.
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