Ranking Philadelphia 76ers' Top 10 Free-Agent, Trade Targets in 2024 NBA Offseason
By all accounts, the Philadelphia 76ers plan to go star-hunting this offseason. Team president Daryl Morey essentially confirmed it during his end-of-season press conference.
"I think generally, the history of the NBA would favor—even with the new CBA—get studs who you can then put the work and the onus on the front office to find the players that fit around (them)," Morey said.
The Sixers can create up to nearly $65 million in cap space if they trade the No. 16 overall pick in this year's draft, waive Paul Reed and Ricky Council IV, decline their team option on Jeff Dowtin Jr. and renounce the rights to every free agent other than Tyrese Maxey. In that scenario, Joel Embiid would be their only player under contract heading into free agency.
A max contract for a star with 10-plus years of experience is projected to begin at $49.4 million, which means the Sixers could still have nearly $17 million in cap space left over after signing the likes of LeBron James or Paul George. They could also use that cap space to acquire a star via trade, as teams that finish a trade under the cap don't have to worry about the NBA's salary-matching rules.
The Sixers have already been connected with George, James, Jimmy Butler, Brandon Ingram and Donovan Mitchell this offseason. They'll inevitably pop up as suitors for any other stars that become available, too. But if they had their pick of the litter, who would be their best option?
Based on their projected fit with Embiid and Maxey, next contract and trade cost (when applicable), these 10 stars stand out above the rest.
10. DeMar DeRozan, Chicago Bulls (Free Agency)
1 of 10
In the Chicago Bulls' three years with DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine and Nikola Vučević, they've won a total of one playoff game. After re-signing Vučević to a three-year, $60 million deal last offseason, they're now facing the prospect of recommitting to mediocrity or losing DeRozan for nothing in free agency.
"The sticking point between the two sides has long been the parameters of a deal, both the amount of money and the length of the contract," Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic recently wrote. "The Bulls would be happy to re-sign DeRozan on a two-year deal. DeRozan's side obviously would covet more security."
Mayberry predicted "the dollar amount will be hefty, likely north of $40 million annually," which might be a deal-breaker as is for the Sixers. At his end-of-season press conference, Morey pledged to avoid long-term deals if the Sixers struck out on their top options this offseason. He'd prefer the flexibility of short-term contracts in that scenario.
DeRozan has been one of the NBA's best closers over the past few seasons and has averaged 25.5 points, 5.1 assists and 4.7 rebounds per game with the Bulls. However, he's one of the lowest-volume three-point shooting stars in the league, so spacing could become limited with both him and Embiid largely working inside the perimeter.
If the Sixers could sign DeRozan to a two-year balloon deal with a second-year team option, there'd be minimal risk. They could even look to use his contract as the main salary filler in a midseason trade for a star. But they shouldn't prioritize a long-term commitment with DeRozan over the myriad options they could have this offseason.
9. Pascal Siakam, Indiana Pacers (Free Agency)
2 of 10
Based on how Pascal Siakam's first half-season went with the Indiana Pacers, it's hard to imagine him parting ways with them this summer. Both he and the Pacers are reportedly interested in a long-term commitment after their surprise run to the Eastern Conference Finals, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.
"I'm told there's mutual interest between the Pacers and Siakam in getting a deal done this offseason, and the Pacers understand it'll take a max-level-type contract to keep the forward, who will be an unrestricted free agent," Charania reported.
Even if contract talks do go south with Indiana and Siakam begins considering other destinations, the Sixers wouldn't necessarily be the cleanest fit. Siakam is a multifaceted big man who can create for both himself and others off the dribble and dominate with the ball in his hands, but he's a low-volume, low-efficiency three-point shooter. The Sixers need more floor-spacers alongside Embiid and Maxey.
Siakam's relationship with Sixers head coach Nick Nurse—his former coach with the Toronto Raptors—is another potential complication. In May 2021, Siakam confronted Nurse about benching him in the fourth quarter of a game "loudly and aggressively with words beyond standard cursing," according to Sportsnet's Michael Grange. "It got personal, lines were crossed and teammates had to intervene," Grange added.
The Sixers likely won't even have a shot at signing Siakam, as the Pacers can offer him one extra year and higher annual raises than any other team. But even if they do, they'd be better off pursuing a variety of other options.
8. Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland Cavaliers (Trade)
3 of 10
Fresh off another standout playoff showing, Donovan Mitchell will become eligible to sign a four-year extension worth a projected $208.5 million with the Cleveland Cavaliers this offseason. If he doesn't sign that deal, the Cavaliers will likely move him before opening night.
"I've been told the Cavs either would sign him to an extension this summer, or trade him," Terry Pluto of Cleveland.com wrote in late May. "They have zero intention of opening the 2024-25 season with Mitchell heading into his free-agent year."
An offense featuring Mitchell, Maxey and Embiid might be nearly unstoppable, as both Mitchell and Maxey have experience operating on and off the ball. After seeing the Dallas Mavericks get to the NBA Finals led by two dynamic playmakers, the Sixers might look to emulate that model, except with a star center as well.
The Sixers could still have roughly $30 million in cap space if they acquired Mitchell this offseason, along with the $8.0 million room mid-level exception. If they spent some of that on retaining Kelly Oubre Jr. and Nicolas Batum, they'd at least have an intriguing starting five, although they'd still need more depth at forward behind those two.
However, there's a "growing sentiment" around the league that the Cavaliers will be able to convince Mitchell to sign an extension, according to Shams Charania, Joe Vardon and Jason Lloyd of The Athletic. Even if they don't, the cost to acquire him via trade could prove too prohibitive for the Sixers compared to some of the other available options this offseason.
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7. Brandon Ingram, New Orleans Pelicans (Trade)
4 of 10
At his end-of-season press conference, New Orleans Pelicans executive vice president of basketball operations David Griffin said that he planned to have a "real sense of urgency" this offseason and that he's seen "enough" of this current core at full strength.
Longtime NBA insider Marc Stein reported in mid-May that other teams expect the Pelicans to "aggressively explore the trade market" for Brandon Ingram this offseason. "Ingram's exit is increasingly viewed by various league observers as an inevitability rather than possibility," Stein added.
Ingram is heading into the final year of his contract and will presumably want a five-year max or near-max deal next summer, which could cost up to nearly $270 million. The prospect of having to pay that next deal or his leaving as a free agent next summer could reduce the price that teams are willing to offer for him.
Ingram is one of only 10 players who averaged at least 20 points, five rebounds and five assists per game in each of the past three seasons. He also has the length to become a disruptive defender, although that isn't one of his strengths. The bigger concern from a Sixers perspective is his low-volume, average-efficiency three-point shooting.
Even if the Sixers decide to go after Ingram, the Pelicans likely would want something beyond draft picks in return. They can't afford to take that large of a step back with Zion Williamson on the roster unless they have another pick-heavy deal lined up. Otherwise, Sixers might have to concoct a three- or four-team swap for Ingram to be a realistic option this offseason.
6. Lauri Markkanen, Utah Jazz (Trade)
5 of 10
The Utah Jazz don't want to trade Lauri Markkanen. At his end-of-season press conference, Jazz CEO Danny Ainge told reporters that he planned to go big-game hunting this offseason, which seems like the last thing that a team would do if it were trading its best player.
Even if the Jazz did put Markkanen up for grabs, other teams could easily outbid the Sixers unless they offered all five of their tradable first-round picks, including the fully unprotected 2028 pick from the Los Angeles Clippers. While Markkanen seems like he'd be a clean fit alongside Embiid and Maxey, it's unclear whether anyone—much less a fringe All-Star—is worth that kind of draft capital these days.
It's easy to see why the Sixers would be tempted by Markkanen, though. During his two seasons in Utah, he's averaged 24.5 points, 8.4 rebounds and 3.1 three-pointers per game while shooting 49.0 percent overall and 39.5 percent from deep. He won Most Improved Player and was named an All-Star in 2022-23, although injuries limited him to 55 games this past season.
Markkanen isn't a high-end defender, so it's fair to wonder how he'd hold up on that end of the floor in the playoffs. His shooting will keep him on the court regardless, but the Sixers should be aiming to add two-way players who aren't liabilities on either end. Still, an offense led by Embiid, Maxey and Markkanen might be so thermonuclear that even a league-average defense might be enough to get by.
Even though Markkanen would likely cost more to acquire than Brandon Ingram, he'd be the preferable option for fit reasons. However, he figures to renegotiate and extend his contract with the Jazz this offseason, taking him off the board for at least the near future.
5. Jimmy Butler, Miami Heat (Trade)
6 of 10
Run it back five years later? The Sixers sound open to it.
"Talking to my sources, the 76ers' ownership group—they kinda regret what they did five years ago [in trading Jimmy Butler] and they see the success that he's had," Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer said on Locked On Sixers (h/t Philly Sixers Galaxy). " … He could be in their eyes, the missing piece, and they're willing to give him the money he wants."
Since the Sixers sign-and-traded Butler to the Miami Heat in 2019, he guided the Heat to three Eastern Conference Finals and two NBA Finals appearances, where they lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020 and Denver Nuggets in 2023. Meanwhile, the Sixers still have yet to return to the Eastern Conference Finals since Allen Iverson's heyday in 2000-01.
Butler isn't the cleanest fit with Embiid and Maxey from a shooting perspective. He's never taken a high volume of threes per game, although he did shoot a career-high 41.4 percent from deep this past season.
That didn't stop Butler and Embiid from developing dynamic two-man chemistry in their partial season together, though. Maxey's shooting would also help space the floor far more than Ben Simmons did for the Butler-Embiid duo in 2018-19, to say the least.
Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald reported that Butler wants a two-year, $113 million extension this summer, and Pompey reported that the Sixers would be willing to give it to him if the Heat aren't. Heat president Pat Riley shot down the possibility of trading Butler this offseason, but if extension talks go off the rails, Butler demonstrated in Minnesota just how messy he can get in a contract year.
4. OG Anunoby, New York Knicks (Player Option)
7 of 10
The New York Knicks presumably didn't trade Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett to the Toronto Raptors for OG Anunoby in December with the intention of letting him walk as a free agent six months later. That's especially hard to imagine after Anunoby played a key role in the Knicks' gritty playoff run this season.
That doesn't mean he's guaranteed to return to the Knicks, though.
According to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, league personnel widely expect Pascal Siakam to re-sign with the Indiana Pacers, but "Anunoby's situation with the Knicks is not as cut and dried." Fischer noted that Anunoby could be trying to leverage his way into a bigger deal with the Knicks, but some teams left the NBA draft combine "with the belief that Anunoby could reach unrestricted free agency and consider deals from other franchises in addition to New York."
Anunoby isn't a star like Jimmy Butler, but he's arguably a cleaner fit between Maxey and Embiid. He's a much more accurate and higher-volume three-point shooter than Butler (37.6 percent on 4.4 career attempts per game), although he's nowhere near the overall scorer. He has rated as one of the league's best defenders over the past few years, which culminated in an All-Defensive second-team nod last season.
If the Knicks lowball Anunoby—they could offer him a five-year deal worth as much as $245.3 million—the Sixers could give him a four-year, $181.9 million contract. His starting salary of $42.3 million is roughly $6-7 million cheaper than players on a 35 percent max deal (Paul George, Jimmy Butler, etc.), so the Sixers would have more flexibility to round out their roster around Anunoby, too.
3. Paul George, Los Angeles Clippers (Player Option)
8 of 10
The Sixers' reported interest in Paul George is perhaps the worst-kept secret in the NBA.
In late May, Kevin O'Connor of The Ringer reported that signing George was the Sixers' "plan A" this offseason. If the Los Angeles Clippers don't offer him more than the three-year, $149.7 million extension that they signed Kawhi Leonard to in January, the Sixers can come over the top with a four-year, $212.2 million offer.
On paper, George might be the cleanest fit of any star available to the Sixers this offseason. The nine-time All-Star is a career 38.5 percent shooter from three-point range on nearly seven attempts per game, and he has four All-Defensive team nods as well. He's also a capable secondary playmaker, having averaged at least five assists per game in three of the past four seasons.
George just turned 34 at the beginning of May, but the Sixers don't appear concerned about how a four-year max will age for him. Although he'd earn $61.2 million in the final year of a max deal contract, the salary cap could be up to nearly $190 million by then. Besides, the Sixers need to focus on the now, as there's no telling how much longer Embiid will be playing at his current level.
Cooler heads eventually seem likely to prevail between George and the Clippers, but the Sixers will be lurking if they don't. Since the Sixers could sign George outright, they'd still have all five of their tradable draft picks to make future changes to the roster. That's a huge argument in favor of George over Brandon Ingram, Lauri Markkanen or Jimmy Butler.
2. Mikal Bridges, Brooklyn Nets (Trade)
9 of 10
Let's get one thing straight off the bat: Mikal Bridges is not a better player than Paul George or Jimmy Butler. If the trade cost for Butler and Bridges were identical, there would be a real argument for the former.
Bridges' contract contributes to his overall appeal, though. He's earning only $23.3 million in 2024-25 and $24.9 million in 2025-26. That's less than half of what Butler and George are likely to earn over those two seasons. Even OG Anunoby could sign a new deal this offseason starting at somewhere between $35-40 million.
If the Sixers acquired Bridges and wiped the rest of their roster clean other than Embiid and Maxey, they'd still have $42.8 million in cap space along with the $8.0 million room MLE. That might give them enough flexibility to sign a 2-guard like Malik Monk or Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, add a high-end backup center such as Andre Drummond and still leave them with money to spend on retaining key players from last year's roster like Kelly Oubre Jr., Nicolas Batum and Kyle Lowry.
Bridges proved ill-suited for being a No. 1 option on offense this past season with the Brooklyn Nets, but three years ago, he was a key cog on a Phoenix Suns team that got within two wins of a championship. He also has yet to miss a single game through his six NBA seasons, which should be a huge selling point for a team that must constantly brace itself for Embiid injuries.
Bridges is a career 37.5 percent shooter from deep, and he's been in the 70th percentile or above in Dunks and Threes' estimated defensive plus/minus in each of his six seasons. He'd effectively be a high-end three-and-D weapon who wouldn't require the same usage rate as some of the other stars in this neighborhood of the rankings.
1. LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers (Player Option)
10 of 10
LeBron James is widely expected to stay with the Los Angeles Lakers this offseason, regardless of whether he picks up his $51.4 million player option for the 2024-25 season. However, ESPN's Brian Windhorst recently called the Sixers a "threat" to land James if he does decide to leave L.A.
"[Sixers president] Daryl Morey has been trying to sign LeBron for a decade now, multiple different opportunities," Windhorst said. "And of the teams that have a chance to win the championship next year, the only team with cap space that could offer LeBron a max contract is the 76ers. Other teams could do sign-and-trades, but the Lakers wouldn't have to cooperate.
"The 76ers are a threat. I don't think they're a serious threat, but certainly in the NBA, you never rule anything out."
If James is willing to come to the Sixers—even if they have to spend the No. 41 pick on Bronny James to further entice him—he's worth prioritizing over anyone else. How often does one of the greatest players of all time want to join your team?
The Sixers wouldn't necessarily be signing up for James' version of Michael Jordan's two years with the Washington Wizards. James is fresh off an age-39 campaign in which he averaged 25.7 points on 54.0 percent shooting, 8.3 assists and 7.3 rebounds per game. He also shot a career-best 41.0 percent from three-point range, which would make him an even better fit alongside Embiid and Maxey.
James' max starting salary on a new deal from the Sixers would be roughly $50 million, which is less than $1 million more than Paul George's max and $1.2 million more than what Jimmy Butler will earn in 2024-25. The Sixers wouldn't have much flexibility to build out a supporting cast around James, but a team with James, Embiid and Maxey might attract a horde of ring-chasers on the cheap.
Unless otherwise noted, all stats via NBA.com, PBPStats, Cleaning the Glass or Basketball Reference. All salary information via Spotrac and salary-cap information via RealGM.
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