76ers Must Consider Brandon Ingram Trade Amid Paul George, NBA Free Agency Rumors

The Philadelphia 76ers experienced another early playoff exit, falling to the New York Knicks in the first round. While the Sixers have two foundational players in Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey—plus a quality coach in Nick Nurse—a shakeup is needed.

According to team president Daryl Morey, changes will come this offseason.

"We're not going to have continuity," Morey said, per Dan Gelston of the Associated Press. "We'll have continuity with our stars and our head coach, but we're going to have a lot of changes this season."

Presumably, Philly will look to add another offensive playmaker to partner with Embiid and Maxey. It might find one in New Orleans Pelicans guard Brandon Ingram.

According to HoopsHype's Michael Scotto, many around the league expect Ingram to become a trade chip this offseason:

"Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram is considered the most likely player to be traded by rival executives who spoke with HoopsHype. Those executives believe the fit with Ingram and Zion isn't ideal on the court. With Ingram entering the final season of his contract at $36 million, he's been a trade candidate before, but he's a prime trade candidate now."

As ESPN's Brian Windhorst noted earlier this month, the Sixers will be able to add a player on a max contract while still getting a new deal done with Maxey. According to Windhorst, Los Angeles Clippers forward Paul George is at the top of Philly's wish list, but Ingram and Jimmy Butler could also earn consideration.

George, of course, has long been linked to the 76ers. Last month, the Philadelphia Inquirer's Keith Pompey reported that Philadelphia's "desire to acquire Paul George in free agency is the NBA's worst-kept secret."

However, there are a couple of potential problems with a pursuit of George. For one, there's no guarantee that he won't sign an extension in L.A. or simply exercise his player option for the 2024-25 season.

Secondly, George is 34 years old, which could potentially limit his window with Embiid, who is 30, and the 23-year-old Maxey. George is still an All-Star player, but not every NBA veteran plays well into their mid-to-late 30s.

Ingram is only 26, and while he isn't currently on George's level, he would still add some offensive potency to Philadelphia's lineup. Ingram didn't play particularly well in New Orleans' losing playoff effort, but he did average 22.6 points in the regular season while shooting 47.1 percent from the field and 41.3 percent from beyond the arc.

While Ingram hasn't been an All-Star since the 2019-20 season, he'd still form a terrific trio alongside Embiid and Maxey. Given his age, he might also provide more long-term value than George.

Of course, acquiring Ingram would cost trade capital. However, the Sixers have assets remaining from the James Harden trade. And with New Orleans apparently eager to offload Ingram, he might be a more realistic trade target than Butler.

Miami Heat president Pat Riley recently criticized Butler for suggesting that Miami would be playing if he wasn't out with an MCL injury.

"if you're not on the court playing against the New York Knicks, you should keep your mouth shut in your criticism of those teams," Riley said, per Mike Vorkunov and William Guillory of The Athletic.

However, Riley also noted that the Heat aren't actively looking to move Butler. He could still cost a trade premium that Ingram, at this point, will not.

All signs still point to George being Philadelphia's top target, and after failing to even reach an NBA Finals in five seasons with L.A., George may be eager for a change of scenery. However, Ingram is a viable alternative, one the 76ers must consider as they wait for the June 30 start of free agency to arrive.