Another Tuesday, another Sixers mailing — the penultimate mailbag before the 2025 NBA Draft begins on June 25.
This week, our focus is on Kevin Durant, whether or not the Sixers could acquire a second pick before round one of the draft concludes and how the team can find a way to replace Guerschon Yabusele's minutes at power forward if the 29-year-old departs via free agency:
From @Phillyshakeit:Why aren’t the Sixers in on Kevin Durant? I don’t even think we would need to give up Jared McCain or No. 3.
The short answer: there is no path to the Sixers making an offer that appeals to the Phoenix Suns without including at least one asset that is far too valuable to give up for a soon-to-be 37-year-old on an expiring contract — particularly given the lack of short-term certainty surrounding the Sixers' franchise cornerstone, Joel Embiid.
The longer answer: even if there was a justifiable case for the Sixers taking a swing on Durant, it would involve Paul George. And despite his status as a nine-time All-Star who can easily replace Durant positionally, George's massively disappointing debut season in Philadelphia and remaining contract — three years and over $160 million — make him a significantly negative trade asset.
Embiid is in the same boat with four years and $248 million remaining on his contract while it remains unclear if he can hold up physically playing on a consistent basis — regardless of his level of production. Nobody is trading for him this offseason; there is too much health-related uncertainty.
That means Tyrese Maxey would have to be at the center of a Durant package, and even if the Suns did not ask for the No. 3 overall pick or McCain in addition to Maxey, that price is far too rich. Maxey is more than a dozen years younger than Durant, and even if a one-for-one swap made the Sixers better in 2025-26 — this much is debatable in itself — it would not be a one-for-one swap, as the Sixers would have to shed more salary, and more importantly, the Sixers' most important decisions cannot be driven by short-term gains. Trading for Durant is not just cashing in assets and betting on Durant, it is also a gamble on Embiid and George being reliable enough to have a chance to win a championship with Durant.
MORE: Getting in on a Durant deal, the offseason's first blockbuster and more
*From @kellenpastore.bsky.social:*Should the Sixers try to acquire a late first-round pick to acquire a center? And if they do is there one in particular they should target?
If the Sixers identify a prospect slated to get picked later in the first round and they believe said player is a great fit in Philadelphia, they have the ammunition to move up from No. 35 in the 20s with their surplus of future second-round picks. I do not think being a center should be a prerequisite here, as Adem Bona appears to have been a hit at No. 41 overall and when Embiid is playing, there are only so many other minutes to go around at the five.
However, Bona's presence should not dissuade them from taking a center if they think there is a tantalizing option who happens to play the position.
Centers projected to go later in round one include 7-foot-2 Ryan Kalkbrenner from Creighton, 18-year-old Frenchman Joan Beringer and Michigan big Danny Wolf. There are some other players that could sneak into the first day of the draft, including 7-foot-2 Hansen Yang from China, Stanford senior Maxime Raynaud and Penn State wild card Yanic Konan Niederhauser.
The more interesting question to me is which picks later in the first round could be available. Oklahoma City has the No. 24 overall pick in addition to an earlier first-rounder and only enough roster space for one rookie; but that also renders No. 35 much less valuable to them. Brooklyn has to make two first-round picks before being back on the clock twice in a row at No. 26 and No. 27, but they also pick at No. 36 overall. The Orlando Magic at No. 25 might have been the most obvious answer here before they moved the No. 16 pick in the Desmond Bane deal.
Phoenix picks at No. 29 — though they are widely expected to add another first-rounder whenever the Durant trade is finalized. If they are open to moving down, the Sixers have a pair of future Suns second-rounders, perhaps one of them would be enough to jump six spots and secure a player the Sixers might otherwise not be able to land. The Los Angeles Clippers at No. 30 are starved for future draft capital, perhaps they would take a future second-rounder to drop five spots if the board does not shake out favorably for them.
MORE: Making statistical cases for and against each of Sixers' options at No. 3 overall
*From @adrienxpinto.bsky.social:*If Guerschon Yabusele signs elsewhere, how would you expect Daryl Morey to address the PF spot? VJ/Ace/Tre/Kon or even a trade-up at No. 2 won't give us an option. We would be left with basically minimum guys or via a Kelly Oubre Jr./Andre Drummond trade.
If Yabusele's market does not extend beyond the taxpayer's mid-level exception – two years and about $11.6 million — I expect him to be back in Philadelphia. If it does grow past that price point, I have a much harder time imagining him being back in the fold, as it would significantly hinder the team's ability to keep Quentin Grimes, who should be the clear priority.
In a Yabusele-less world, the Sixers could simply use that tax mid-level on someone who can play the four consistently — I mentioned Trey Lyles as an optimal fit in last week's bonus mailbag — and that player can handle a decent number of minutes there. What makes the idea of losing Yabusele so ominous, however, is that he can credibly play power forward and center on any given night, and not many players on the market fit that description.
You are right that they appear primed to select someone at No. 3 overall who is not capable of logging any minutes at the four. Maybe their second pick — whether that comes at No. 35 overall or earlier — is a power forward, but relying on immediate production from a later selection is risky.
There are some viable internal options at the four, too. Paul George is known as a wing, but has more than enough size to hold it down at the four in smaller lineups which would optimize the Sixers' offensive capacity. He ended up playing there much more than expected in 2024-25. Justin Edwards is also a wing, but has the size, strength and feel to play the four in today's NBA, at least in spurts.
Otherwise, though, those minutes will have to come from Yabusele or an external addition.
MORE: What Desmond Bane trade says about what Sixers could get for Tyrese Maxey
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