While they didn’t have nearly the amount of playoff success as they hoped, the Philadelphia 76ers’ 47-35 record was a respectable result considering the mid-season James Harden trade. Tyrese Maxey became an All-Star, and Joel Embiid looked primed to win his second consecutive NBA MVP award.
Injuries inevitably got in the way, but now Nick Nurse’s team has a chance to return to being one of the very best teams in the Eastern Conference.
Boasting over $60 million in cap space, plus as many as five tradeable first-round picks, including the 16th overall selection in June 26’s NBA Draft, 76ers president Daryl Morey has a chance to add another franchise cornerstone to the roster this summer.
Spending their cap space could involve signing an All-Star to a maximum contract. If so, players like Paul George and LeBron James come to mind. If it’s a trade, then stars like Jimmy Butler and possibly even Brandon Ingram could be potential solutions for Philadelphia.
The Butler talks are nothing new, linking the former Sixers player to a reunion with Embiid and Co. But the Ingram link is new. Yet, pursuing a trade with the New Orleans Pelicans could make a lot of sense.
As the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Keith Pompey was tossing out names while reporting the 76ers want a “maximum-salary player via free agency or trade,” he mentioned Ingram, who’s far younger than the other targets.
Ingram, 26, may very well be on the trade block this summer as the Pelicans try to build the best roster around Zion Williamson. For now, Ingram is set to enter the final year of his contract, with a $36 million cap hit in 2024-25. But that means he’s likely to want a contract extension this offseason. The only issue is the Pelicans aren’t likely to meet his asking price.
According to The Athletic’s William Guillory, the Pelicans are “unlikely” to offer Ingram a four-year, $205 million maximum contract extension this offseason. Yet, as Pompey noted, the 76ers are willing to open up their pocketbooks, and adding a versatile scorer like Ingram, who averages 19.4 PPG in his career, could be the perfect fit.
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