Philadelphia 76ers: Don’t expect a Kyrie Iving sign-and-trade

In a matter of weeks, the Brooklyn Nets went from low-key championship contenders to the verge of collapse, with Kyrie Irving flirting with the idea of leaving the Big Apple – or at least the idea of leaving Brooklyn – becoming a very real possibility and either Ben Simmons or Kevin Durant potentially looking to follow suit depending on how things shake out.

For fans of the Philadelphia 76ers, this is pretty darn good news; while the Nets-Sixers rivalry would have been incredibly fun to watch, one less big-time performer in the division is one less big-time defender, no matter how you break it down.

But here’s the thing, while the rivalry might just be graveyard bound, there’s a little nugget of information that could put shock it back to life like the adrenaline needle in Pulp Fiction, or the thunderbolt at the beginning of Friday the 13th VI: The Sixers are reportedly on Irving’s sign-and-trade list and could, as improbable as it sounds, end up reuniting with James Harden in a different shade of red, white, and blue uniforms.

So that’s that, right? The Sixers are going to trade Tyrese Maxey and Tobias Harris for Irving, the dreams of Brooklyn will transfer onto the City of Brotherly Love, and it’s championship or bust.

Whoa, whoa, whoa, not so fast, my friend; politics aside, there’s basically no chance the Philadelphia 76ers land Kyrie Irving unless he explicitly forces his way there.

The Philadelphia 76ers just don’t have a path to Kyrie Irving.

So, for the sake of argument, let’s say the Brooklyn Nets don’t particularly care where Kyrie Irving wants to play – keeping to his list, of course – and just want to maximize their assets. Let’s say they don’t hold ill-will towards Daryl Morey and James Harden for tanking their potential dynasty and would instead happily do a deal with any team who presents the same package.

If that’s the case, where do the Sixers fall? Do they have a legitimate path to Irving if every other team comes correct with a competitive offer?

In a word: No.

While the Sixers could theoretically turn in a package better than the Los Angeles Lakers, as even their depleted asset pool is deeper than the offer of Russell Westbrook, THT, Kendrick Nunn, and a first, but is a package of Tobias Harris, Matisse Thybulle, Tyrese Maxey, and a first really worth the price of admission? Is that better than the haul the New York Knicks could offer, which could feature picks and young players like RJ Barrett and picks alongside Julius Randle? Or how about the Heat? They have picks too, and might just be willing to part with performers like Gabe Vincent and Tyler Herro to slot Irving in between Kyle Lowry and Jimmy Butler.

Goodness, even the Los Angeles Clippers could offer enough picks to entice Brooklyn to make a deal, as the Nets’ asset pool is still pretty low following the James Harden trade, and recouping picks could be their biggest priority.

Throw that all together with the interpersonal aspects of the game, and there just doesn’t seem to be a viable path to the process.

Would the Philadelphia 76ers be better off with Kyrie Irving on their roster, even if it means saying goodbye to Tobias Harris and Tyrese Maxey? Potentially so, yes, but some moves just aren’t worth making. Philly has their Big 3 in place and now needs to optimize their supporting cast with players like P.J. Tucker and Eric Gordon – come on, we all know it’s going to happen – instead of spending even more picks on moving around stars without a clear direction.