If Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant is made available for trade, plenty of teams are expected to express interest, including the Philadelphia 76ers.
The Philadelphia 76ers are trailing the Boston Celtics 3-1 in their first-round NBA Playoffs series.
All signs are pointing to Philadelphia being eliminated early in the postseason once again, which could lead to major changes this summer. The 76ers are, however, in a tough spot because so much of their money is tied to Joel Embiid, Paul George, and Tyrese Maxey.
This means one of the only ways a major move is made is if one of these three stars is included.
The Ringer's Michael Pina believes that's not out of the question, linking the 76ers to a potential trade for 16-time All-Star and Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant.
"The Rockets thought that KD was their missing piece, and instead, there’s a chance they’ll turn him into a stepping stone this summer," Pina wrote. "It turns out that your best player shouldn’t also be a mercenary."
Pina continued, "But despite that, the Heat, Timberwolves, Blazers, Mavericks, Pistons, Knicks, Raptors, Hawks, Magic, Lakers, Nuggets, Hornets, Bulls, Wizards, Warriors, Pacers, Jazz, Sixers, Celtics, Cavaliers, Bucks, and Clippers would all have varying degrees of interest—pending how the rest of these playoffs go."
It's worth noting Pina listed 22 of the 30 NBA teams as potential suitors for Durant, so Philadelphia would have steep competition to acquire him.
Durant is a phenomenal player, even at age 37, but unfortunate injuries have led to him missing three of the Rockets' four matchups against the Los Angeles Lakers in Round 1. When he did appear in Game 2, Durant recorded 23 points, six rebounds, and four assists.
In order for the 76ers to land Durant, either George or Embiid would need to be sent out. Neither of those aging stars has substantial trade value, as the former simply isn't performing at the level he's being paid while the latter struggles to stay on the floor.
It's hard to imagine a world where Durant is suiting up in a 76ers uniform for the 2026-2027 season, but crazier trades have happened in the NBA.
Join The 76ersRoundtable Community
Head over to the 76ersRoundtable page and hit the "Join" button under the featured story... it's completely FREE! You'll have the opportunity to engage with other 76ers fans who live and breathe the team, share your thoughts on the organization, and more. If you're asked to sign up or download the Roundtable app... that's free too.
Anthony Pasciolla is the publisher of 76ersRoundtable. He can be reached via email at ampasciolla@gmail.com or followed on X @AnthonyPasci.