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Matthew Schmidt is a sportswriter who covers NFL, MLB, NBA and college football and basketball. He has been writing professionally since 2011 and has also worked for On SI, Bleacher Report, FanRag Sports, ClutchPoints, NFLAnalysis.net and NBAAnalysis.net. He was born and raised in New Jersey and has a rather eclectic group of favorite teams: the Boston Celtics, New York Giants and Miami Marlins.
Contributing Sports Writer
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Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
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The Philadelphia 76ers are quite the sticky situation right now. Joel Embiid and Paul George both have massive contracts, but neither player is able to stay healthy. They are also going to be very difficult to trade as a result.
But is it possible the 76ers can somehow swing a deal to dump George while also adding a great asset in return? Bleacher Report’s Grant Hughes thinks so, suggesting a trade in which Philadelphia would send George and a 2028 first-round pick (via the Los Angeles Clippers) to the Utah Jazz to acquire Lauri Markkanen.
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“Depending on how things go with George’s health, the Sixers could use this pick as a sweetener in a trade that exchanges his salary for a smaller one—or for a player with a better health outlook,” Hughes wrote. “Utah is hoarding other teams’ future firsts and might be amenable to snaring this one along with several smaller contracts in exchange for Markkanen. Though the Finnish forward has had his own struggles staying on the floor of late, his movement shooting and efficient scoring would make him a fascinating addition to the Embiid-Tyrese Maxey combo.”
: Head coach Nick Nurse of the Philadelphia 76ers looks on in the third quarter during their game against the Charlotte Hornets at Spectrum Center on January 20, 2024 in Charlotte, North Carolina.
: Head coach Nick Nurse of the Philadelphia 76ers looks on in the third quarter during their game against the Charlotte Hornets at Spectrum Center on January 20, 2024 in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images
Markkanen has been labeled a trade candidate this offseason, one year after signing a massive contract extension with the Jazz. But things changed after Markkanen put forth a rather pedestrian campaign this past season.
However, the chances of Utah trading Markkanen for George — who is under contract for the next three years — seem rather slim.
George is now 35 years old with a well-known injury history, and while Markkanen wasn’t great last season and has a huge contract in his own right, he is at least 28 and is two years removed from averaging 23.2 points per game on 48.0/39.9/89.9 splits.
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There is definitely a world in which the Jazz could trade Markkanen, but you have to figure the return would be much more significant than just George and a 2028 draft pick.
Of course, this would be a huge trade for the 76ers, who could then pair Markkanen with Embiid up front and potentially contend in the Eastern Conference (provided Embiid remains healthy, of course).
But is it going to happen? Probably not.
For more on the Philadelphia 76ers and general NBA news, head on over to Newsweek Sports.