Sixers mailbag: Paul George and Joel Embiid’s trade value, need for backup point guard, and more
We answer your Sixers mailbag question, from pinpointing the Sixers' worst decisions to determining how viable moving George and Embiid's big contracts would be.
The 76ers will look to get back to their winning ways when they host the Los Angeles Clippers Monday at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
Los Angeles dropped to 4-9 after a loss Sunday to the Boston Celtics at TD Garden. Before that matchup, the Clippers needed double overtime to defeat the struggling Dallas Mavericks and snap a six-game losing streak.
The Sixers (7-5) are coming off Friday’s 114-105 road loss to the Detroit Pistons.
Paul George could make his season debut against his former team after being listed as questionable with left knee surgery recovery.
Meanwhile, Kelly Oubre Jr. (left knee lateral collateral ligament injury), Joel Embiid (right knee soreness), and Adem Bona (sprained right ankle) will miss the contest.
After starting the season 4-0, the Sixers have lost five of eight games.
In the meantime, I’ll answer a few of your mailbag questions.
Missed out on the party? No worries. Submit questions for next time by tweeting @PompeyOnSixers to X with the hashtag #PompeysMailbagFlow.
Q: Big picture question — the current state of the Sixers is a result of very poor decisions in the past. If you had to pinpoint the Top 4 (Draft, tanking, free agency, trade, player development), what would they be? — @Radha. V
A: Thanks for starting the mailbag. This is an amazing question. The four-year tank, referred to as The Process, and the draft picks and trades the Sixers made during that time have to be equally atop the list.
While they drafted eventual All-Stars in Embiid and Ben Simmons, the Sixers, for the most part, made several head-scratching draft moves and questionable trades during The Process. And looking back, even Simmons, who forced a trade to the Brooklyn Nets on Feb. 10, 2022, is fondly remembered in Philadelphia. The No. 1 draft pick in 2016 is no longer in the NBA.
That Process era produced eight lottery-pick acquisitions from the 2013 through 2018 drafts.
» READ MORE: Sixers say Kelly Oubre Jr. suffered a ligament injury in his knee; Paul George could make his season debut
The Sixers traded away Nerlens Noel (sixth, 2013), Michael Carter-Williams (11th, 2013), Dario Šarić (12th, 2014), Jahlil Okafor (third, 2015), Markelle Fultz (first, 2017), and Mikal Bridges (10th, 2018) for very little or nothing in return.
Bridges was a Sixer for 38 minutes before being shipped to the Phoenix Suns in exchange for Zhaire Smith and a 2021 first-round pick. Smith was a bad fit for the Sixers, who never gave him a real opportunity to showcase his skills.
He played in only 13 games before being traded to the Detroit Pistons on Nov. 23, 2020.
The Sixers traded Šarić, Robert Covington, Jerryd Bayless, and a 2022 second-round pick to the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for five-time All-Star swingman Jimmy Butler on Nov. 12, 2018.
Trading for Butler was the best option for a Sixers team that was determined to settle for nothing less than an A-list talent to play alongside Simmons and Embiid. However, Butler didn’t see eye-to-eye with former Sixers coach Brett Brown and the Sixers opted to part ways with him at the conclusion of that season.
But Okafor and Fultz may have been the franchise’s biggest missteps.
Despite already having centers Noel and Embiid, the Sixers used that third pick of the 2015 draft on Okafor instead of selecting power forward Kristaps Porzingis, who was selected one pick later by the New York Knicks.
A pairing of Embiid and Porzingis would have given the Sixers a strong center/power forward tandem for a decade. That’s the draft from which the Sixers never fully recovered.
The 2017 NBA draft was a wasted opportunity.
The Sixers moved up two spots to select Fultz first overall. The organization also acquired the 25th pick from the Orlando Magic in exchange for future assets to draft Latvian center Anzejs Pasecniks. The Sixers picked up two more foreign players in Australian Jonah Bolden and Frenchman Mathias Lessort in the second round and sold their remaining two second-round picks.
Fultz and Bolden are the only players who appeared in an actual game for the Sixers.
The Sixers may never get over moving up to select Fultz. The team got the pick from the Boston Celtics for their No. 3 pick of that draft and the 14th overall pick in the 2019 draft. Boston ended up taking Jayson Tatum at No. 3 in 2017.
» READ MORE: Sixers need to be ‘mentally tougher’ against physical play while improving third quarters
The move might go down as the worst trade in Sixers history.
The Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers, who picked hometown favorite Lonzo Ball second overall, had no intention of drafting Fultz. As a result, the Sixers surrendered the 2019 first-rounder for nothing. Fultz would have been available at No. 3.
When you look at former Sixers TJ McConnell and Covington, you have to say their player development was solid. But their free agency signees would be number four on the list.
Q: Do Paul George and Joel Embiid have any trade value? — @Thamass8
A: Great question. Let’s start with Embiid. We all know the 31-year-old is making $55.2 million this season and his three-year, $193 million extension begins next season. That’s a lot of money for a team to take on for a player with an extensive injury history, who has been a shell of his former self in the six games he played this season. As a result, his trade value is low. A team president of basketball operations would have to be really secure in their job to make that trade. Now, if Embiid can play at 80% of his former self, his addition to most teams makes them instant championship contenders.
But if he continues to miss a lot of games, his addition could set a franchise back.
Meanwhile, George, 35, missed 41 games last season due to various injuries, is making $51.6 million this season. He’ll make $54.1 million next season and has a player option for $56.5 million during the 2027-28 season.
At first thought, one would surmise that George has an unmovable contract.
What team would trade for a player who, by all appearances, is a shell of his former self and is still owed a lot of money?
There’s always one team. Maybe two or three.
But that’s a move an executive would only make if he thought George could be the final piece to an NBA championship. It would be similar to the Golden State Warriors acquiring Butler from the Miami Heat last season to play alongside Steph Curry and Draymond Green.
» READ MORE: Sixers’ Jared McCain shows improvement during Blue Coats’ stint
The team would also have to feel comfortable about George’s injury history. The good thing is that most of his ailments have been acute injuries. If treated properly, they shouldn’t lead to chronic conditions. And there will be some level of concern since he’s an older player.
But George might have to prove that he’s close to the same player he was two seasons ago before a squad would gamble on him.
The six-time All-NBA and four-time All-Defensive team selection averaged 22.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.5 steals and shot a career-best 41.3% on three-pointers during the 2023-24 season with the Clippers.
However, as a Sixer last season, George struggled to create separation and averaged just 16.2 points, the fourth-lowest average of his 15-year NBA career. He also finished with his third-lowest three-point percentage (35.8%).
Q: My question is the team has a logjam of combo guards, and it seems like they need a point guard off the bench. Do they have one on the team already, or should they look to pick up one? — @micknasty6670
A: What’s up, DJ? The Sixers do have the prototypical point guard off the bench in Kyle Lowry. However, the former Cardinal Dougherty and Villanova standout is 39 and more of an extension to the coaching staff than a point guard option. It isn’t uncommon to see the sixth-time All-Star, who’s in his 20th NBA season, standing on the sideline and yelling instructions to teammates. He also mentors Tyrese Maxey, Jared McCain, VJ Edgecombe, and other young players.
With that, the Sixers would benefit from picking up a backup point guard to help in clutch situations. You are right about the logjam of combo guards with Maxey, McCain, Edgecombe, and Quentin Grimes. But they would benefit from having a traditional point guard to help run the offense smoothly in clutch situations.
Q: How is Kelly Oubre Jr. doing? Can he play the next game? — @Woogie______
A: Thanks for the question. Oubre will not play Monday night against the Clippers. The small forward’s long-term availability remains uncertain after the team said he injured the lateral collateral ligament in his left knee Friday in a loss to the Detroit Pistons. He had an MRI this weekend and will meet with a specialist to determine the extent of the injury.
» READ MORE: How good is Tyrese Maxey? He’s now in a class with Sixers great Allen Iverson and other NBA elites.
The Sixers are hoping for the best. But depending on the extent, he could be out for weeks to months. He’s definitely going to be missed.
The 6-8, 203-pounder is averaging 16.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 1.1 steals while logging a career-high 34.8 minutes. Oubre is shooting 34.8% on three-pointers and routinely guards the opposing team’s best perimeter player.