The Philadelphia 76ers and Phoenix Suns could pull off a blockbuster trade this offseason.
Some have noticed that the two teams in the 2025 NBA Finals — the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Indiana Pacers — got to where they are by trading Paul George. Maybe the 76ers should follow a similar blueprint.
Bleacher Report’s Andy Bailey proposed an interesting idea this week:
“Paul George, the No. 3 pick, a 2028 first-round pick, a 2030 first-round pick and a 2032 first-round pick swap for Devin Booker.”
“The Philadelphia 76ers jumping up to the third spot in the lottery makes them one of the more (interesting) trade candidates this summer, especially since Paul George's first season there was such a disaster,” Bailey wrote.
“Adding that pick to two more firsts and a far-future pick swap would give the Suns a good batch of draft assets to tip off a rebuild. And trading George somewhere down the line for more assets wouldn't be out of the question either.”
“On the Sixers' side of the deal, this is a lot of capital to give up, but it certainly opens their window for contention a bit wider. If they could have an upright Joel Embiid for a playoff run with Booker and Tyrese Maxey, they could join the Thunder and Pacers in the trend of teams that recently traded Paul George and made the Finals shortly thereafter.”
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Paul George | Player Profile
- Age: 35
- 2024-25 stats (41 games): 16.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 43% FG
- Upcoming salary (per Spotrac):
- 2025-26: $51.7M
- 2026-27: $54M
- 2027-28: $56.6M (player option)
Devin Booker | Player Profile
- Age: 28
- 2024-25 stats (75 games): 25.6 points, 7.1 assists, 4.1 rebounds, 46.1% FG
- Upcoming salary (per Spotrac):
- 2025-26: $53M
- 2026-27: $57M
- 2027-28: $61M
Which team is more likely to turn down this deal?
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