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The 2024-25 season was a nightmare on nearly all fronts for the Philadelphia 76ers. Touted by many as a legitimate threat to the Boston Celtics' reign after pulling off the blockbuster signing of nine-time All-Star Paul George, the 76ers could never quite get into a rhythm as a team after they were hampered by injuries all season long. In the end, they won just 24 games after needing to tank come season's end as they looked to retain the top-six protected first-round pick that they owed the Oklahoma City Thunder.
At the very least, their terrible season has borne fruit in the form of the third overall pick of the 2025 NBA Draft. Moreover, they have Jared McCain ready to scorch the nets once more as he makes his return from a torn meniscus. And then to top it all off, they unearthed a hidden gem in Quentin Grimes, who broke out into an unstoppable scoring force towards the end of the season.
The 76ers' contending hopes, of course, will hinge on whether Joel Embiid can stay healthy or not. A healthy Embiid would make the 76ers one of the most stacked rosters in the NBA, especially if George manages to get rid of Father Time's hold on him.
Even then, there remains one glaring weakness for the 76ers, and that's at power forward. They will have to address this weak spot if they were to truly bounce back from last year's horrid campaign.
Here are a few trade targets that the 76ers can set their sights on this offseason.
Jaren Jackson Jr.
The Memphis Grizzlies have been stagnating over the past few seasons, and there seems to be a rot plaguing the team. It's not quite clear what changes they'll be making to get back on track after being the two-seed in 2023, but it sure does look like a no-brainer for them to keep Jaren Jackson Jr., a perennial Defensive Player of the Year candidate whose scoring efficiency has skyrocketed in recent seasons.
Jackson, however, is in the final year of his contract, and he's remained mum on whether or not he'd be signing an extension with the Grizzlies. If he flat out says that he won't be extending his stay in Memphis, the Grizzlies' hands could be forced to pull off a Jackson trade.
This could open up the opportunity for the 76ers to trade for Jackson. Salary-matching could be an issue, but if the 76ers somehow convince the three of Kelly Oubre Jr., Andre Drummond, and Eric Gordon to pick up their player options, they could then package those three along with the third overall pick of the 2025 NBA Draft to try and convince the Grizzlies to let go of the 2023 DPOY.
A starting five of Tyrese Maxey, McCain, George, Jackson, and Embiid would be quite the quintet, and they will still have Grimes as their main guy off the bench.
This is the absolute dream scenario for the 76ers, although they could very well be outbid by other teams for Jackson's services even if the third overall pick is proving to be a very juicy trade chip.
Tari Eason
The Rockets are not likely to sell off any members of their young core if it's not in a trade for a superstar like Giannis Antetokounmpo. But perhaps the 76ers somehow find a way to acquire Tari Eason, a lockdown defender and a livewire on the glass, in a trade that would have them give up the third overall pick. The Rockets could perhaps package the 10th pick, Eason, and another draft pick to move up in the draft if the 76ers aren't fond of any of the prospects left on the board at pick three.
Eason's skillset would make him quite the perfect fit on the 76ers; he's a rangy defender who can make open shots and he's a fierce rebounder as well. In a larger role, he could break out as a stocks machine, similar to Dyson Daniels' emergence for the Atlanta Hawks.
The biggest problem, however, is that Eason is an injury risk as well. He missed 25 games this past season and hasn't shown yet that he's capable of handling a consistently heavy workload.
Nonetheless, if the 76ers can turn the third pick into even more draft capital as well as someone who could be their starting power forward, they should do it.
Royce O'Neale
With the Phoenix Suns likely to trade Kevin Durant this offseason to recoup some draft capital, veteran forward Royce O'Neale could be someone who goes as well. O'Neale shouldn't cost too much in a potential trade, and he's making just $10.1 million next season. If Oubre opts into his contract, him and some second-round picks should do the trick for the 76ers.
