5 moves the Sixers can make to turn season around

4. Trade for Kevin Durant

Okay. Now this is a bit of a pipe dream for a few reasons. First, any deal for Kevin Durant probably involves pieces that the 76ers don’t want to trade away (i.e., Tyrese Maxey or Joel Embiid). Second, a trade could involve James Harden, which the Nets are unlikely to be interested in. And if it didn’t, it’d involve reuniting Harden with Durant–a combo that didn’t work great the first time around. Lastly, Durant, despite his top tier play, has continued to be at best difficult, if not a problem, for ownership and coaching staffs. So for what the 76ers would have to give away to acquire him, it’s unclear if Durant would be worth the potential disruption.

That said, Kevin Durant instantly makes whatever team he’s on better. If he became a sixer, not only would he instantly become the most popular athlete in the city (sorry Bryce Harper), but also he’d suck up all of the media oxygen in the NBA, making the 76ers the most talked about team in the league. Still, if the trade included two of the 76ers big three, or Maxey plus Harris plus picks, it’s hard to see how the 76ers move the needle to compete with the Celtics and Bucks–two teams whose pieces fit together far better than this hypothetical 76ers team would. Still, the hype sure would be fun.