All indications are that the Philadelphia 76ers are looking for another star on the wing to put next to Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. But even though they have draft picks to trade and cap space to utilize, there’s no such thing as a sure thing in NBA free agency. They’re going to need backup plans.

Philly is rumored to like its chances of signing Paul George away from the Los Angeles Clippers. But there are bound to be several suitors for the All-Star forward. Trading for a big name like Jimmy Butler or Mikal Bridges would cost the Sixers valuable assets to use elsewhere on the roster. The best course of action is to sign the big name (or multiple medium-sized names) and use the draft picks for trades for complementary pieces. It’s way, way easier said than done, though.

The Sixers are preparing to go other routes if they don’t find the right star for them. They could pivot to a trade for a player on a bloated contract like Chicago Bulls star Zach LaVine (if the price is right) or sign a high-value, short-term deal to use in a future trade, according to Jake Fischer of Yahoo! Sports.

Fischer writes the following: “The Sixers, sources said, took note of Indiana’s two-year splurge for Bruce Brown that then became the biggest salary headed back to Toronto in exchange for Siakam. Veteran wings like Klay Thompson and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope would fall on the Sixers’ list of targets for similar one-plus-one contracts, sources said. Striking out on a big-time wing would also leave the door open for Philadelphia to consider taking back a player such as Zach LaVine, sources said, in the event Chicago or another team is willing to attach draft capital to move off salary. Kyle Kuzma will be another advanced wing player on the trade market, although Washington’s asking price for the veteran scorer prior to February’s trade deadline was too rich for most rival teams.”

Assuming the asking price for Kuzma remains too high — and the Sixers recognize the bevy of other trade options that are on cheaper contracts and/or have a style of play that fits better — the backup plans of signing inflated contracts for solid players or taking a swing on LaVine both make plenty of sense.

76ers prepping backup options if they whiff on star acquisition

Signing a player to an inflated contract can be tricky. Bringing in someone whose future with the team beyond even one season is shaky wouldn’t ensure the continuity that Phily is still trying to find in the Embiid era. But having that optionality would be helpful if the right

Brown signed a two-year, $45 million deal that included a team option on the second year with the Indiana Pacers before being rerouted to the Toronto Raptors. Now, the Raptors are expected to pick up the team option and look to trade him again. Even if they have to wait, they’ll have a solid guard in their rotation for the time being.

The Sixers going this route would be tough to swallow for a team that just went through a year where the front office stayed patient. They don’t have much more time to solidify the core around Embiid and Maxey. Any year that isn’t going all-out to put the best team in place is more likely to be a waste. As was shown this past season, it results in a team that isn’t suited to thrive if Embiid isn’t on the court.

Of course, if the Sixers don’t like the options they have of adding a star, they shouldn’t feel the pressure to make a big signing or trade just for the sake of it. Stacking tradeable contracts to keep the team afloat now and use for a big move in the more distant future would be better than making the wrong big swing right now. But it also takes the right player to sign that type of deal.

Would Thompson leave the Golden State Warriors, the only NBA team he has ever known, to sign a contract with the Sixers that could make him a trade chip? Unless he stands to make way more with Philly or is willing to risk a trade to join a situation that is better suited to compete for a championship, it seems hard to imagine him joining the Sixers on a short-term deal.

A player like Caldwell-Pope, however, has bounced around the league over the years and might be more comfortable signing a lucrative yet tradable deal with the Sixers. He fits perfectly at the two-guard spot next to Maxey. However, he fits well on pretty much every team, so his market could get him a better deal than a big one- or two-year deal.

Zach LaVine carries risk and reward

Although a playoff-hardened wing makes the most sense for the Sixers, LaVine could be great for them, though it would certainly be a risky move.

LaVine was straight-up not good for Chicago last season before being knocked out for the season by an injury to his right foot. But he has a very good track record that includes multiple All-Star teams. On a team like the Sixers, he could easily bounce back to his previous form.

Adding a dynamic player like LaVine would help the Sixers on offense. He would be able to feed off of the gravity Embiid and Maxey have while creating his own looks and making plays for them. His percentage on catch-and-shoot threes has been north of 40 percent in each of the four seasons before 2023-24. As good as Embiid and Maxey are, it would benefit Philly to add more playmaking and floor spacing.

Defensively, LaVine has never been regarded as a top-tier player. But he's athletic enough and has good enough size for a shooting guard to at least be passable as a team defender, as he was for the Bulls when they had a top-five defense in the 2022-23 season. The Sixers would have to surround an Embiid-Maxey-LaVine trio with top-notch defenders but their offense would most likely be very good.

If the Sixers trade for LaVine, it'll eat up $43 million in cap space this summer. They could lessen the burden by including Paul Reed in the deal but it would take the Bulls (or a third team) being interested in the former DePaul standout. The 29-year-old LaVine is owed nearly $46 million in the 2025-26 season and he has a player option worth almost $49 after that. It could take a draft pick or additional asset to take on such a big contract following such a rough, injury-plagued season.

The Bulls have not shown a ton of interest in trading LaVine, which puts into doubt the likelihood that he ends up getting moved, especially if it's a salary-dump type of deal where more assets are included with LaVine. The Sixers don’t seem likely to end up with LaVine this offseason, though the upside of having a great trio would be there if they do.