On Monday, ESPN's Jonathan Givony wrote in his latest mock draft that teams "expect" the Sixers to be active in trade conversations regarding the No. 3 pick. Givony listed two players — Phoenix Suns star Kevin Durant and Lauri Markkanen — as potential targets in a trade.
The Suns trading Durant for a player like Ace Bailey, projected to go No. 3 in Givony's mock draft, would be a win. However, there's a caveat, and as Givony mentioned, a package could include the No. 3 pick and Paul George. Phoenix knows what it's like to trade for an overpaid, aging star (spoiler: it doesn't end well), so taking on George's contract wouldn't be ideal.
However, maybe it could play in the Suns' favor. Their past mistakes meant they couldn't look forward to having a lottery pick this season, but a trade with the Sixers would change that. Phoenix might be stuck with PG, though. He's signed through 2026-27 and has a $56.6 million player option for 2027-28. The burden of taking on that contract would lessen if the Suns enticed Bradley Beal to waive his no-trade clause in another deal.
Mat Ishbia has stressed several times that his goal isn't for Phoenix to undergo a rebuild. Maybe George would thrive in the desert, giving the Sixers a shot in the West. That might end up being too much of a dream scenario. Suns fans know all too well what it's like to get their hopes up, only for the season to end in disappointment.
Sixers could be interested in trading No. 3 pick for a player like Durant
The Durant trade market could be halted entirely if Giannis Antetokounmpo decides to leave Milwaukee. KD's future would hinge on what happens if Giannis. The longer it took for a Giannis trade to form, the worse it could be for the Suns.
The Sixers entering desperation mode could change everything, though. Daryl Morey could be tempted to go all-in on a player like Durant to heighten the chances (in theory) of winning a title with Joel Embiid. The West got even stronger after the draft lottery, meaning Philadelphia could try to capitalize on making a deep run in the East, especially if Giannis leaves. Whether that plan would work is a different story.
It's an avenue that the Suns would have to explore given the position that the organization is in. Maybe a third team could materialize as part of a deal to take on George, but that'd require a lot of convincing and maneuvering.
The draft is a little over a month away, so this is a situation Phoenix fans should monitor in case it starts to gain more traction.