After a very disappointing 2024-25 NBA season, the Philadelphia 76ers could be at a crossroads.
After adding Paul George last offseason on a mammoth $211 million deal for four years, the Philadelphia 76ers were expected to rival the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference.
Instead, early injuries to George, Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and then-Rookie-of-the-Year frontrunner Jared McCain derailed their season, effectively ending it before it could get off the ground.
With a promising youngster in McCain, Maxey seemingly ready to take over as a franchise player, and the third overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, the Sixers could trade both George and Embiid, quickly hitting the reset button and fully moving on from “The Process.”
However, Philadelphia believes Embiid can return to MVP form and that George is still an All-Star, and their plans were revealed.
Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images76ers will stay the course, for now
A lineup of Maxey, McCain, George, Embiid, and possibly Ace Bailey (or Tre Johnson! Or VJ Edgecombe!) would be one of the best rosters in the East. After losing in the second round, both the Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics are expected to take a step back, and the Sixers, if healthy, should be better than the Orlando Magic, Detroit Pistons, and Milwaukee Bucks.
Only the Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks stand in their way, and the 76ers like those chances.
“Don’t expect that duo, furthermore, to be broken up,” reported league insider Jake Fischer. “Sources say that recent reports suggesting that the Sixers will be looking to explore George’s trade market in conjunction with the draft are a misread.”
Of course, if George or Embiid get injured again or are simply unable to return to form, then the plan might change, although for now fans can expect them to stay the course.
“It has been whispered often in league circles, going back to Philadelphia’s free agency courtship of George last summer, that the Sixers would not turn around and try to move their marquee acquisition in the early stages of his Philly tenure unless George asked for a deal himself,” he continued.
Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty ImagesExamining 76ers chances next season
The Knicks and Pacers, the last two teams standing in the East, are expected to trot out very similar lineups next season. The Celtics, with Jayson Tatum injured and the second apron remaining a factor, might trade away one of their better players, and the Cleveland Cavaliers, until they prove they are winners, can’t be considered.
While teams like the Magic and Pistons are certainly on the rise, Daryl Morey has long made it clear that he believes in building around Embiid, and for now, a healthy Embiid should be considered a top player in the league.
Of course, the Sixers have always fallen in the postseason, often in disappointing fashion, although their current roster hasn’t had a chance to prove anything. “Playoff P” might be a beast of the past, although the East is expected to be weaker than ever, especially with Giannis Antetokounmpo linked to Western Conference teams.
If “The Process” will ever pay off, expect it to next season, after years of waiting.