The Philadelphia 76ers are in a strange spot right now. On paper, they’ve got a winning record.
But if you’ve been watching the games-or just following the injury reports-you know the vibes haven’t exactly matched the win column. This is a team that came into the season with championship aspirations, not just hopes of staying above .500.
And yet, here they are: banged up, inconsistent, and facing some serious long-term questions.
One of the biggest questions? What to do about Paul George.
George is still a high-level player, no doubt. But his contract is a monster, and it’s got two more years left after this season.
That kind of financial weight limits what the Sixers can do around the margins-and in today’s NBA, the margins are where championships are won. Flexibility matters.
And right now, Philly doesn’t have much of it.
The cleanest path out of that contract would be to find a trade partner willing to take George on. That’s easier said than done.
You’re not just asking another team to absorb a massive salary-you’re also likely attaching draft picks or young talent to sweeten the deal. That’s a tough sell unless there’s a clear win-win scenario.
Enter Lauri Markkanen. Or at least, that was the hope.
Markkanen has been floated in league circles as a dream trade target for teams like the Sixers. He’s younger, fits a modern offensive system beautifully, and his contract is far more manageable.
For a team like Philly, which is still trying to maximize the Joel Embiid window, Markkanen would be a near-perfect fit. But that dream is fading fast.
According to the latest reporting from around the league, the Utah Jazz aren’t looking to move Markkanen anytime soon. In fact, quite the opposite-they’re reportedly more focused on building around him.
That lines up with what we’ve seen from the Jazz front office over the past couple of seasons. They’ve been patient, deliberate, and increasingly committed to their young core.
And with Markkanen playing at an All-Star level again this year, there’s even less incentive for them to pivot toward a rebuild.
That’s a major blow for the Sixers.
Philly wasn’t ever the most obvious suitor for Markkanen, but they were one of the few teams with the right combination of assets-draft picks, young players, and a big-name veteran like George-to make a deal at least plausible. Now, with Utah seemingly shutting the door on any Markkanen talks, that window has all but slammed shut.
So where does that leave the Sixers?
Stuck, for now. The Paul George contract isn’t going anywhere without a willing partner, and the most logical trade scenario appears to be off the table. Unless something changes dramatically, Philly is going to have to find a different way to reshape this roster-and that won’t be easy with so much of their cap space tied up.
For fans hoping to see a bold midseason move to shake things up, this isn’t the news you wanted. But it’s the reality.
The Sixers are still in the mix, still talented, and still dangerous when healthy. But if they’re going to take the next step, it’s going to take more than just waiting for bodies to heal.
It’s going to take a front office miracle-and right now, those are in short supply.