Paul George Keeps Daryl Morey & 76ers Away From Zach LaVine Trade Despite Bulls’ Desperation

It’s no secret that the Sixers are looking for a third superstar to play alongside Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. With the ability to open up $65 million in cap space, they have room to sign a max-level player this summer. And Daryl Morey is scouring the market to find the perfect superstar to fit that role. However, despite the desperate attempts by the Bulls to trade Zach LaVine, with Philly being one of the preferred locations, Morey doesn’t seem too interested in the two-time All-Star with his eyes still on Paul George.

As per the latest reports, Chicago’s Arturas Karnisovas has sent out proposals to half the teams in the league so far hoping to part ways with LaVine. And the Sixers are one of the teams to have received the proposal. However, PHLY Sports’ Kyle Neubeck revealed that the proposal has not generated any interest in the Sixers and Morey seems to have no intentions of pursuing the two-time dunk contest champ. Arturas also attempted to send him to Philly during the mid-season trade deadline. But DeMar DeRozan and Alex Caruso seemed to generate more interest than LaVine’s availability.

Maybe Morey wants nothing to do with LaVine because he still has three years left on his massive contract, which owes him $138 million. While Morey has the money to pay, there might be a belief that he is not worth the price. Averaging only 19.5 points, he had his lowest-scoring season in six years. More importantly, he underwent a season-ending foot surgery, which limited him to playing only 25 games. And Philly might not want another star with injury concerns as they already have Joel Embiid to worry about. That brings us to the next question.

Is Paul George still Morey’s primary target?

While there are several reasons why LaVine has not piqued Morey’s interest, the biggest reason could be Paul George’s availability in the market. Since their season ended, the Sixers have made it clear that PG is their primary target this summer. Even during a recent finals broadcast when Embiid and PG shared the screen, the former MVP hinted that he wanted to team up with Paul, even risking violating the league’s tampering rules. “Hopefully, this off-season we find a way to get better and you know add some pieces,” Joel said while sneakily side-eyeing PG.

With a $48.8 million player option in LA, George could opt out of it and test free agency in a few days. And the Sixers have the money to offer him a massive four-year $212 million contract. One of the best two-way players in the league, acquiring PG instead of LaVine definitely has more upside for the Sixers as he is a bigger superstar. Just this season, George averaged 22.6 points along with over 5 boards and nearly 4 assists, while also playing the most games in his Clippers tenure. So, there is a chance that Morey might be waiting on PG’s decision about free agency before he looks at LaVine’s availability, to have the cap space in case George shows interest in moving to Philly.

Before you go, do not forget to check out what Shaquille O’Neal’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato has to say about Caitlin Clark’s meteoric rise to stardom. Keep checking this space for more such updates.