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Sixers Listed as Only Team With 2 ‘Negative Trade Value’ Players

The Philadelphia 76ers' trade value is at its lowest.
Nov 12, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George (8) drives against New York Knicks forward OG Anunoby (8) during the third quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
Nov 12, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George (8) drives against New York Knicks forward OG Anunoby (8) during the third quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

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The NBA has quite a few stars across the league coming off a down year. Unfortunately for the Philadelphia 76ers, most of their core players fall in that category.

A recent list of NBA players who likely have negative trade value heading into the 2025 offseason includes multiple Sixers. They happen to be the only organization in that position.

The good news is that the Sixers are unlikely to break up the star core this summer. Joel Embiid, Paul George, and Tyrese Maxey will continue to work together as long as Daryl Morey stays true to his word.

Still, the fact that two-thirds of the star trio in Philadelphia have negative value can’t feel good for the Sixers.

Paul George, Joel Embii
Dec 28, 2024; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) and forward Paul George (8) react to a play against the Utah Jazz during the fourth quarter at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

“Embiid is due a significant amount of money,” Bleacher Report’s Eric Pincus wrote. “His availability concerns might make his contract the most difficult to move in all of the NBA.”

You could probably say the same about Paul George.

“Paul George is heading into the second season of his contract with the 76ers. Unfortunately, he didn't live up to his salary this past season,” Pincus stated. “…George's hefty remaining salary may keep him with the Sixers for some time.”

Last summer, the Sixers made three moves to lock in their core group. Tyrese Maxey landed a max deal as a restricted free agent. Paul George was lured in with a max contract after he hit the unrestricted free agency market, and Joel Embiid was rewarded with an extension, adding more years to his deal.

By now, it’s clear the Sixers’ plans for the 2024-2025 NBA season fell flat. Next week, they will potentially acquire a top-six pick in the 2025 NBA Draft as a result of their disastrous season.

In a league where patience is running thin, there’s more pressure for teams to find success right away. Superstar shakeups are happening at a high rate. The Sixers made their moves last summer with intentions of keeping that trio together for several years. Breaking it up one year in goes against the long-term plan.

And since the George-Embiid combination value is at its lowest, the Sixers have no choice but to hold anyway. A lot can change depending on how the 2025-2026 run plays out. While the optics of having negative value in certain players isn’t ideal, the Sixers don’t have to worry about that at this time.

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You can contact Justin Grasso via e-mail: JustinGrasso32@gmail.com


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Justin Grasso
JUSTIN GRASSO

Justin Grasso was a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s Philadelphia 76ers On SI Network. Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writers Association. Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoMedia Threads: @JGrassoMedia

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