76ers used the 3D to sign up with George for Leonard. The Clippers accepted the offer and discussed in depth. Maxi was asked to add

The latest report by Keith Pompei, a reporter from the Philadelphia Inquirer, 76ers are interested in packing Paul George, the 2025 draft pick and rookie Jared McCain to replace the Clippers star Kawhi Leonard. The Clippers management did not explicitly reject the deal, and the two sides have a great chance to reach an agreement before the draft. The contract of Paul George, Embiid and Maxi completely locked down the 76ers' salary space, with the total salary of the three core players exceeding $800 million. The team's management will either split the lineup or continue to bet on focusing on winning the championship in the next three years. However, a cruel reality is in front of us. Embiid, Maxi and George played 14 games at the same time, and the team's record was only 7 wins and 7 losses. Coupled with their own different injuries, most executives are not optimistic about the 76ers' prospects for winning the championship, and they tend to make huge adjustments in the offseason to prepare for winning next season. This is also something that President Morey has to keep it.

"The 76ers' lineup flexibility will mainly strengthen the first round third pick, as well as potential contract renewals between Yabuselle and Quentin Grimes." Keith Pompei said, "Theory, the 76ers can take into account both winning the championship and cultivating young players, but the Warriors' experience and lessons learned by the Warriors this double-line team building strategy will hardly succeed." The Warriors cannot train Maxi, Jared McCain and the upcoming Tanhua show, while also focusing on Embiid as the core to strive for the championship. The 76ers insist on winning within the present, and the team has been "believing the process" for ten years, and it is time to achieve results. Based on this, the 76ers are seeking to package young assets and get the ultimate puzzle to win the championship.

Keith Pompei confirmed that trading Embiid or Paul George is inevitable, but the 76ers' senior executives are more eager to get rid of George's $162 million contract for the remaining three years. "The team is extremely cautious about trading Embiid unless the 76ers boss is uneasy about his $193 million contract in the next three years. Embiid remains healthy and still has the core strength to win the championship. When it needs to be done, find the right star to join forces with him." Based on this precondition, the 76ers are working hard to explore Paul George's deal and have made some progress. Morey tentatively discussed Leonard's deal with the Clippers' management and gave an "aggressive trading quote". The 76ers' trading chips have to seriously consider it.

"Source close to the trading conversation revealed that the 76ers sent Paul George back to the Clippers and packaged the 16th pick in the first round of 2024 Jared McCain as a return." Keith Pompei said. For the Clippers, it is difficult for the existing lineup to go further in the West, and trading Leonard to rebuild seems to be a more rational and pragmatic approach. Even if Leonard remains healthy, with the Clippers' existing lineup, it will be difficult to defeat opponents such as the Thunder, the Timberwolves, the Nuggets, the Mavericks, and the Rockets. Replacing Leonard with high-quality young players may be the biggest contribution of the two-time FMVP to the Clippers. However, the Clippers made more demands and were not very interested in Paul George's contract.

Jared McCain averaged 15.3 points and 2.6 assists per game in the rookie season, with a shooting percentage of 46% and a three-point shooting percentage of 38.3%. He was nicknamed "The Fairy Boy", and was also a dance internet celebrity on social media. However, after suffering a meniscus tear on the left knee, the season ended early. The Clippers are willing to discuss Kawhi Leonard's deal with the 76ers, but hope to get the Tanhua lottery, Maxi and Jared McCain in return. George's contract is difficult to trade, and no team is willing to take over the player who has passed his peak and has an average salary of $54.1 million in the next three years. It seems that the 76ers will have to pay a greater price to form Leonard and Embiid's core lineup.

"The Clippers also put forward a condition that hopes that the 76ers will return the 2028 first-round draft pick and the 2029 first-round draft pick swap rights in Harden's trade." Keith Pompei said. There is no doubt that the Clippers' asking price for Leonard is very high, exceeding the expected price code of the 76ers. If the 76ers all accept the requirements of the Clippers, they will definitely ensure that both Embiid and Paul George are fully healthy. Under this condition, Leonard will theoretically have the hard power to defeat the top teams in the East next season. The use of young players and draft picks for Leonard was also the last big bet for the 76ers in Embiid's era.

‌Morey regarded Leonard as the ultimate puzzle to win the championship, similar to the Warriors trade to get Butler to rebuild the dynasty team, which is likely to be completed before the draft. But the 76ers need to evaluate Paul George's injury history (mostly acute injuries) and treatment prospects. The premise of the transaction is that 76ers believe that George can be the key to the championship.