The Philadelphia 76ers are rumored to be interested in trading away Paul George, and the Atlanta Hawks are one of only a few suitors who make sense.
The Philadelphia 76ers are in a prison of their own design. Superstar Joel Embiid has dealt with injuries all season and might never return to the height of his powers, and they signed Paul George to a four-year deal this offseason.
George has also dealt with injuries all year, although it’s clear that the 34-year-old is past his prime. While he is still a productive player, he is not worth the $211 million the Sixers committed to him this summer.
As Philadelphia tries to retool, young guards Tyrese Maxey and Jared McCain will be at the center of the Sixers’ development and improvement, and they have been urged to part ways with some aging pieces.
According to recent reports, George is not expected to stay in the City of Brotherly love past this summer.
Even before the 76ers officially shut Embiid down for the season, they were shopping George, although talks are expected to gain steam this summer.
Statistically, he is having the worst season of his career since his second year in the league all the way back in 2011-12. The nine-time All-Star is simply a shell of himself, and the Sixers are severely hindered by keeping him on the roster.
“The Philadelphia 76ers will try to trade small forward Paul George this summer, an NBA source told Hoops Wire,” wrote Ashish Mathur.
George is averaging a lowly 16.2 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.3 assists. He was averaging 22.6 ppg with the LA Clippers last season.
Amid this downturn in production and high salary, it’s hard to imagine the Sixers getting a return for the wing, but one team might be forced into overpaying for a star.
The Atlanta Hawks owe two future first-round picks and a swap to the San Antonio Spurs, so it’s nearly impossible for them to tank and rebuild.
They seem committed to their core of Trae Young, Jalen Johnson, and Dyson Daniels, although that trio is clearly not good enough to compete with the best teams in the Eastern Conference.
Young, their centerpiece, can opt-out of his contract after next season, and if the Hawks aren’t on the upswing, he might test the waters and try to land in a winning situation.
The Hawks have been linked to win-now players like Brandon Ingram, Kevin Durant, and even George earlier in the year.
“Sources tell The [Philadelphia] Inquirer that the Atlanta Hawks and Golden State Warriors have expressed interest in acquiring George ahead of Thursday’s 3 p.m. trade deadline,” claimed Sixers’ beat writer Keith Pompey back in February.
“The Warriors came close to acquiring him from the Los Angeles Clippers via a sign-and-trade before the free-agency period began.”
With the Warriors happy with Jimmy Butler, they won’t compete with the Hawks for George, and Atlanta may in fact be the only suitor interested in giving the former All-Star a chance to prove that he is worth his contract.
With four players set to hit free agency this summer, the Hawks will have the cap space to make a deal possible, and are able to absorb George’s salary.
