While there were high hopes when the ‘Trust the Process’ era began with the Philadelphia 76ers more than a decade ago, things haven’t exactly gone to plan. With Joel Embiid missing massive amounts of time due to injury and a rotating supporting cast, the Sixers haven’t gotten past the second round of the playoffs since the 2000-01 season, led by Allen Iverson.
Now, with hopes of a healthy Embiid and bringing back Tyrese Maxey, the Sixers have the chance to capitalize on what is expected to be a less competitive Eastern Conference. But in the one year they’ve had Paul George, he hasn’t proven to be a fix to their problems.
And while Philadelphia’s struggles go beyond just a simple trade, the right move could help repair what has been one of the more disorganized franchises in the NBA over recent years. The Sixers have assets, young players, and the backbones of a title-contending roster, but as things stand now, they lack the star power that will lead to postseason success.
However, with the 2025-26 season on the horizon, two mock trades were recently offered up for Philadelphia to make another superstar addition and help take ‘The Process’ to a Finals win.
Devin Booker Trade Pitch
Though just one season with George, it already looks to be a failed experiment in Philadelphia. He played in just half of their games last year and is still dealing with a knee injury. The Sixers brass signed George to a four-year, $211 million deal last summer, but it feels like a sunk cost at this point.
While the Sixers look to bounce back from their lowest win total in a decade, they could choose to move George and other assets for a more proven and healthy superstar.
Here is the first trade pitch:
Philadelphia 76ers receive: Devin Booker
Phoenix Suns receive: Jared McCain, Paul George, a 2028 first-round pick (via LAC), a 2029 first-round pick, and a 2031 first-round pick
“Doing so would be awfully costly, but Philly might have just enough trade chips to make it work,” Zach Buckley wrote for Bleacher Report in reference to a potential Booker trade. ” If the Sixers could somehow leave their injury problems in the past, that trio alone might deliver an elite offensive rating and the championship dreams that should come along with it.”
Booker has been one of the most impactful offensive players with the Suns since entering the league, and though expensive, he could be worth the price for the Sixers.
For Phoenix, after losing Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal, its roster feels even farther away from championship contention than Philadelphia. Sending Booker away would begin a full reset of the team, but bring back some strong assets in return.
“The Suns clearly aren’t contending with Booker now, and they don’t have the draft capital or young talent needed to quickly assemble that caliber of supporting cast while the soon-to-be 29-year-old is still within his prime,” Buckley wrote.
Lauri Markkanen Trade Pitch
If the move for Booker doesn’t float Philly fans’ boat, Buckley offered another trade the team could make, this one creating a ‘twin towers’ lineup with one of the NBA’s top frontcourt players.
Here’s the full trade pitch:
Philadelphia 76ers receive: Lauri Markkanen
Utah Jazz receive: Paul George, a 2028 first-round pick (via LAC), a 2028 second-round pick (via GSW), and a 2030 second-round pick (via WAS)
“Markkanen’s size and movement as a shooter might be even better fits with Philly’s stars than George’s on-and-off-ball utility,” Buckley wrote on a potential Markkanen deal. “If nothing else, Markkanen is a more natural and comfortable 4, which could be massive when Philly needs to carve out major minutes at the 1-through-3 spots.”
The Finnish big man would come in and fill many of the holes on the current Sixers roster. Not only spacing the floor for Embiid on offense, he would pair well with the big man on defense as a worthy rim-protector when called upon.
Like Phoenix with Booker, Utah sending Markkanen away wouldn’t come easily. It also wouldn’t be for as big a haul as the Booker deal, but the Jazz have shown no signs of even competing for a playoff spot. Philly’s draft picks could only increase in value if Embiid’s health struggles continue, and Utah could get off Markkanen’s massive deal in the process.
“With any kind of good fortune on the health front, a big three built around Embiid, Maxey and Markkanen should be a contender in this season’s watered-down East,” Buckley added. “Markkanen would give Philly a longer runway and relieve some of the win-right-now pressure on its current core.”
Sixers Set For 2025-26 With Embiid
As previously mentioned, the last time the Sixers made the Finals was in 2001, a team led by Iverson. In hopes of reaching that same success nearly a quarter-century ago, Philadelphia announced it would feature throwback jerseys from that era over the course of the upcoming season.
While the last few seasons have been a bit disappointing, the Sixers are hoping the throwback uniforms remind fans of a different time, one in which the team had much more success.
“To see these uniforms back out on that court will bring back a lot of nostalgia, and we are excited to share that in many different ways with our fans this season,” 76ers chief operating officer Lara Price said.
In what is positive news for Philadelphia fans, Embiid has been making slow progress as he ramps up on a return to the court. The 2023 MVP played in just 19 games last year, but according to photos shared by the team, his progression comes as a good sign.
“It’s encouraging to see him on the floor engaging in basketball activities ahead of the preseason. Team president Daryl Morey has previously said the superstar big man was “on track” to recover from arthroscopic left knee surgery in time for training camp. However, the 76ers have not yet officially cleared him for Opening Night,” Rotowire staff wrote, according to CBS Sports.