The Philadelphia 76ers have plenty of financial leeway this offseason to go along with their arsenal of draft capital, which means they can afford to be a cunning group this summer. The days of the front office being limited to being ambitious without the means to achieve its aspirational objectives are long gone.
The team is fortunate to have a variety of choices this time around, whether through free agency or the trade market. Unfortunately, a few well-known figures have already been connected to the squad, which increases the likelihood that they will be successful in their quest for stars this season. But if the rumour is true, this one superstar may leap right up into their whiteboard.
According to ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith in a recent episode of First Take, 14-time All-Star Kevin Durant is currently not a happy camper in Phoenix in light of their current situation and after his team faced an embarrassing sweep in the first round of the playoffs to the Timberwolves.
“Kevin Durant in Phoenix is a problem. They say Kevin Durant is never happy. They say he went more than a month without even talking to the head coach. They say he doesn’t look happy there.”
Should this hold true (which could be possible given Durant’s notoriously mercurial stance), the 76ers could be gifted with a dream trade target this offseason. While already at the ripe age of 35, Durant still performed at an All-NBA level this season, averaging 27.1 points, 6.6 rebounds, and five assists per game on a mind-boggling 52.3 percent shooting from the field, which includes a nifty 41.3 percent clip from three-point range.
It’s definitely a pipe dream scenario, but trading for Durant would instantly be billed as a jackpot for the 76ers this offseason. He’s signed for two more seasons with a contract north of $50 million annually — a reasonable rate for someone of his caliber that actually matches the prognosed value of Paul George, one of their reported targets this summer.
Getting Phoenix to agree to a trade could be tricky, though. The 76ers only have draft picks to offer for the most part in addition to attendant cap relief. But even so, the team would ultimately stand to benefit if KD tries to force his way out of town once again.
