The Philadelphia 76ers swung a deal on Thursday to bolster their bench when they acquired De’Anthony Melton from the Memphis Grizzlies, but that move isn’t going to be the one that pushes the Sixers over the top.
Philadelphia needs more help for Joel Embiid and James Harden. They need somebody who can take over a game in the blink of an eye when the time calls for it and that is why it has been reported that they are looking for another star to form a Big 3.
While many assume it could be Bradley Beal, another name has popped up on the radar in the form of Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving. The two sides have yet to come to an agreement on an extension and Irving has a list of teams he’s interested in joining if he and Brooklyn can’t come to an agreement and the Sixers are one of those teams.
While Irving is not necessarily a priority for Philadelphia, Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype detailed how the Sixers can acquire the 2016 NBA champion from the Nets:
The Sixers being on Irving’s list is perplexing considering the events that led to James Harden asking out of Brooklyn. Tobias Harris would have to go back to match salaries, but lack any assets other than Tyrese Maxey and Matisse Thybulle after giving the Nets their remaining tradeable first-round picks for Harden.
It’s hard to see Philadelphia giving up Tyrese Maxey. The young man is as close to untouchable as one gets as they move forward with him as part of the core. One also has to consider Irving’s tendency to miss a lot of games as he has played only 103 games across three seasons with the Nets.
All in all, while Philadelphia might be looking to add a third star to this roster, it wouldn’t make much sense to go after Irving considering what happened with him and Harden in Brooklyn and the fact that he is unreliable. He is supremely talented, but he is such a wild card and the Sixers can’t gamble with the next few years of Embiid’s prime.
This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
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