As the NBA offseason continues to provide twists and turns, the Warriors are still left with some unanswered questions. As Paul George‘s trade rumors are heating up, the domino effect relies on a rather hefty sum of $48.8 million, that’s if he opts in. The Sixers are rumored to be re-gearing interest, too. Several analysts have suggested that GSW’s front office is planning for several changes in their roster. And currently, a lot of emphasis is placed on the potential of using Draymond Green in the trade offers.
If the franchise lands the Clippers’ superstar Paul George, it would not only give Stephen Curry a high-quality running mate to play alongside but would also signal a drastic change in the Warriors’ approach. In the possible trade scenarios, analyst Bill Simmons said on his podcast, “There are two possible Clipper trades that they could do for Paul George. One is they could combine Chris Paul that contract Clippers would have to guarantee it next year with Kaminga with Gary Payton for Paul George”.
“The other one is you take Chris Paul with Draymond Green, you trade him to the Clippers and they send back Paul George and PJ Tucker.” Simmons also stressed the strategic considerations saying, “Golden State with this situation with Chris Paul’s contract…it’s still a trade asset. The problem is you can’t trade him this week and then the new team can say oh cool we’ll just waive Chris Paul’s contract and we’ll wipe that 30 million off the books.”
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However, the 76ers are still one of the most active teams in the possible trade race for Paul George. Contrary to earlier signs of waning interest because of geographical factors, there are fresh signs of interest. As Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reported, “Despite a recent report that Philadelphia’s interest in Paul George has cooled amid uncertainty about whether he’d go across the country and sign with Philadelphia in free agency, there remains significant interest from the 76ers in signing him as a free agent.”
76ers’ strategic move amidst trade rumors highlights a changing mindset
In addition, Philly is making sure of a future roster by extending the max for Tyrese Maxey. This shows the franchise is not full of a bunch of untapped and random talents, but they are attempting to establish a core and build around it. Michael Scotto further believes, “The most certain thing for Philadelphia is Tyrese Maxey re-signing on a max extension, league sources said. However, after having to wait a year and being patient with Philadelphia’s front office as it prioritized max cap space, keep an eye on Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul wanting a player option on the final year of Maxey’s new contract and the full 15 percent trade kicker he’s eligible for in negotiations.”
The actions of the 76ers are not unique to them alone but are part of the new trend that is slowly unfolding in the NBA. The teams are now dedicating their efforts to getting the young talents through good contracts while, at the same time, they are going for the big names to give them a competitive edge. This two-plan approach is now slowly but surely becoming an important part of the team development in the league. And in the process of doing so, teams do not mind going down a season either.
For example, look at the Spurs. They roped in Wemby but went on to have a horror 20-60 season. However, there have been no reports of the young Frenchman wanting to leave. That’s because they’ve probably assured him that more talent will arrive in the coming years (like they’re now predicted to rope in Alex Sarr) and as popularly used in the sporting world to just ‘trust the process’.
Coming back to the topic for this story, as the offseason unfolds, the Warriors and 76ers are eager to improve their lineups. Depending on where Paul George decides to go, the NBA landscape can shift dramatically. Over the next few weeks, these teams are going to have their work cut out for them as they need to negotiate contracts and manage players. Also, address the strategic goals of the teams to win the championship.
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What do you think will be the most impactful move this offseason? And if you had to choose, who would find the win a ring earlier? Let us know in the comments!
Stay tuned for more such updates, and to follow what brand maker, Leonard Armato, had to say about the deadly duo, Shaq and Kobe, check out this video.
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