With the Philadelphia 76ers letting Daryl Morey go after a second-round ceiling, attention turns to what happens next with Paul George. The wing’s value has rebounded after a rough 2024-25, but with two years left and a massive player option looming, the new 7
The Philadelphia 76ers didn’t waste time once their season ended. The franchise moved immediately to change the direction of the basketball side, letting Daryl Morey go from his role as president of basketball operations.
Morey had been at the helm in Philadelphia for six seasons. and during that stretch. the furthest the team reached in the playoffs was the second round. When that exit landed and the calendar turned. it also set off a harder question inside the building: if the leadership changes. what happens to the roster pieces built under it?.
Paul George is one of the most obvious answers—and one of the most complicated. Morey made the huge signing of Paul George in the summer of 2024. George. to his credit. played well enough to get the 76ers past their archrival Boston Celtics in the first round of the 2026 NBA playoffs. But his contract looked like an albatross at the start of his 76ers tenure. with his play dropping off amid the team’s nightmare 2024-25 campaign.
That picture has shifted. Even with late struggles late in the New York Knicks series. George has since proven he can still provide value to a contending team. His impact has been anchored by a solid one-on-one defensive presence, described as elite in a team context. He also spaces the floor at a high level.
The uncertainty now isn’t about whether George can still play. It’s about how the new 76ers brass will value him moving forward.
George has two years left on his contract, but the 2027-28 season carries a player option worth $56.6 million. With George’s value rehabilitated “of sorts. ” the timing could be exactly what matters to the next decision-makers: a chance to move him before the contract’s cap weight becomes even harder to justify.
If George lands on the trade block, these are the destinations that make the most sense.
Miami Heat
The Heat are always in the market for star-level talent. but even with George no longer an All-Star-caliber player. he would still be an upgrade on the wings. The fit is clear: George’s defensive-minded style meshes with the gritty identity Miami builds around. and his ability to provide secondary scoring from the forward spots lines up with what contenders need.
The suggested trade idea is for the 76ers to target a package built around Andrew Wiggins and Nikola Jovic. Wiggins, however, has a player option for next season, which would need to be resolved before he becomes a real trade chip for Miami.
Golden State Warriors
Golden State’s situation has its own constraints. With Steve Kerr returning for his 13th season coaching the Warriors, it would be surprising to see the franchise simply start a full rebuild while Stephen Curry is still playing at a high level.
But the roster predicament is real. Jimmy Butler is not expected back anytime soon after tearing his ACL in January. and the Warriors don’t have many tantalizing young prospects that can instantly change a trade’s outcome. Kristaps Porzingis is injury-prone as well. and it’s not clear how beneficial it would be to bring him back if the Warriors would have to sign him to a huge. long-term contract.
A healthy Paul George becomes a different kind of problem-solver. The trade proposal here is for Golden State to acquire George in exchange for Butler’s expiring contract plus draft assets. The 76ers would be on the losing end of that trade for certain. but the structure gives Golden State a usable forward—an elite defender on the wing—who can make open triples and create offense when Curry is on the bench.
Butler’s contract is at least guaranteed to expire at season’s end. George. meanwhile. may pick up his player option for the 2027-28 season. though the argument is that he wouldn’t be making anything close to $56.6 million if he reaches free agency. That makes the whole situation potentially agreeable for Philadelphia too. especially if they’re resetting and want to clear cap space one year earlier.
Los Angeles Lakers
The Lakers are expected to do a lot of big-game hunting this offseason, with Giannis Antetokounmpo looming at the top of their trade wish list. Still, LA is likely to wait before making major moves because nearly all of its playoff rotation is headed into free agency.
LeBron James, Rui Hachimura, Luke Kennard, and Jaxson Hayes are free agents. Austin Reaves is expected to decline his player option. Deandre Ayton and Marcus Smart might also choose multi-year deals rather than opting into their contracts for the 2026-27 season.
Even with all that uncertainty, Paul George stands out in terms of fit. He is a 6’9″ wing who can cover multiple positions on defense. That matters for a team that, in this year’s playoffs, found itself needing to cover more ground as they loaded up on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
George also would have helped the Lakers play more small ball. He could have been a viable defender to put on Chet Holmgren.
The obstacle is simple: salary matching. The Lakers scarcely have pieces to give the 76ers for matching purposes. Sign-and-trade agreements would hard cap the 76ers at the first apron, making a deal harder to structure.
Still, name value and sheer fit make the Lakers a realistic destination if Philadelphia decides to dangle George.
Orlando Magic
Orlando’s long-term math is the defining storyline. The Magic have a cap problem they will have to figure out sooner or later.
Paolo Banchero’s max contract is set to kick in, and Orlando already has around $155 million committed next season to just four players: Banchero, Franz Wagner, Desmond Bane, and Jalen Suggs. That total is without the $18.1 million Wendell Carter Jr. is owed next season.
The financial commitments don’t end there. Jonathan Isaac has $8 million in guaranteed money for this season, with the Magic most likely letting him go. Orlando already has $25 million committed to the rest of the roster as well, and they are expected to be in the first apron next season.
With limited routes to improve. the Magic may have to roll with this core for the next few years—especially after another first-round exit. There’s also the question of the coaching staff. Jamahl Mosley’s successor would be tasked with maximizing the roster completely. but the roster itself may force hard cap decisions.
The argument for George is tied to timing. If Orlando decides to loosen up its cap obligations for the next few years, taking on Paul George’s contract—which expires next season—could be helpful.
George should also fit the Magic’s defense-first identity. He is described as a reliable marksman from deep, with the past season’s three-point shooting at 39.2 percent. In the playoffs, his percentage improved to 49.3.
But Orlando would have to take a huge risk. There’s no way the Magic would be dangling Banchero, Wagner, or Bane for a 36-year-old veteran. If any player is available, the suggested trade centerpiece is Jalen Suggs.
The complication is health and performance. Suggs doesn’t have the cleanest bill of health, and he struggled immensely in the 2026 NBA playoffs. In their seven-game series loss to the Detroit Pistons, he shot 29.9 percent from the field.
Orlando also has Anthony Black that it will have to pay soon. Clearing out space through a Suggs trade could be what happens. Convincing George to then decline his player option for the 2027-28 season would be the cherry on top.
The uncomfortable through-line tying these possibilities together is what the Morey departure signals: this isn’t simply about a roster underperforming on the court. It’s about the organization deciding that the old structure—and the decisions made under it—may not be the path forward.
And if Philadelphia really wants to reshape what’s left, Paul George’s contract details, his rebound in value, and his looming cap hit all point to the same moment: the offseason where a new group has to make a call, one way or another.
Philadelphia 76ers Daryl Morey Paul George trade Miami Heat Golden State Warriors Los Angeles Lakers Orlando Magic NBA playoffs contract player option Steve Kerr Jimmy Butler Giannis Antetokounmpo Paolo Banchero Jalen Suggs