It's safe to say that the Philadelphia 76ers' big summer acquisition of Paul George has gone as badly as it possibly could have. George has been riddled with injuries this season and when he's available, he's played poorly and struggled to make a winning impact on the franchise. The 76ers are now tanking to protect their top-six protected 2025 first-round pick, as hopes of title contention have already disappeared.
George is a 34-year-old forward with a concerning injury history who just signed a five-year, $211.5 million contract in the summer. The 76ers need to find a way to salvage this deal by trying to move off George, even if it costs them assets, as they likely have just a season or two left of trying to maximize the injury-prone Joel Embiid's championship window.
If the 76ers are salary-dumping George elsewhere, the Chicago Bulls might be a desirable trade partner.
Trade Details
Chicago Bulls Receive: Paul George, Ricky Council IV, 2029 First-Round Pick (LAC)
Philadelphia 76ers Receive: Patrick Williams, Zach Collins, Kevin Huerter
This deal gives the 76ers tangible rotational players across three positions of need, helping the team set up to have a more competitive baseline next season as well as insurance for potential Embiid absences. It might feel stupid to give up what could be a valuable future LA Clippers pick, but it's hedging on protecting their draft assets in case their misfortunes continue beyond this season.
The Bulls Try To Continue The Fringe Competitive Cycle
The Chicago Bulls don't like to bottom out and tank, with this season being the ultimate proof of the same. Despite making moves to trade away DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine, and Alex Caruso, the team is still looking to be a Play-In roster, with this season's 76ers ranked below them as well. It doesn't look like they'll be committing to tanking next season either, with a relatively competitive core in place.
Paul George is averaging 16.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 4.3 assists this season. He's a shadow of the MVP-caliber player he used to be but could be a great veteran to help develop a competitive Bulls' core. They don't have any standout young players at forward either, so George could fill that gap right now while helping win-now players such as Coby White, Josh Giddey, and Nikola Vucevic try to make a genuine Playoff push next season.
They'll rely on George being healthier than we've seen him in years. But even if George can't change their winning fortunes, it's not like they can get worse than what they are. If they finish lower in the standings, it might be a blessing in disguise as it lets them get a high draft pick for a change. Otherwise, this could be a worth-it cap dump with a valuable future pick coming their way as well.
The 76ers Acquire Depth To Injury-Proof Their Roster
When the 76ers decided to make a traditional free agency signing by giving Paul George a max on the open market, the team hamstrung itself with how they could fill out their rotation. While they did make shrewd moves for the likes of Kelly Oubre Jr,. their veteran minimum signings such as Kyle Lowry, Eric Gordon, and Andre Drummond have simply not worked out.
Instead of trying to replace them with new veteran minimums over the next summer, the 76ers could acquire real depth in this deal by splitting George's contract into three less-than-ideal deals but all players are positively productive. Patrick Williams is averaging 9.0 points and 3.9 rebounds, and could potentially reach his potential with a new situation.
Zach Collins is averaging 6.4 points and 4.3 rebounds while Kevin Huerter is averaging 8.7 points. These aren't major difference-makers but are upgrades on the players that they already have. It would fill the rotation out with real contributors and at least give the 76ers the cover they need to be a Playoff franchise next season, even if they lose a draft pick while doing so.
A Deal To Save The 76ers Oncoming Salary Hell
The 76ers roster as currently constructed is simply not sustainable if they're not having success. They have three players on max contracts, with both Embiid and George potentially being lower-value on max deals because of their frequent unavailability. Trading Embiid isn't realistic due to what he means to the franchise and his injury history, but George could be dumped in a shape like this.
These are non-difference-making players for the Bulls, who they can consolidate for a star-level veteran like George. They could get genuine value in a shape like this while the 76ers just get some bodies who can be productive players. In addition, the three contracts instead of George's one max deal will be easier to move on from.
