Few seasons in the Philadelphia 76ers' long history can match the misery of 2024-25.
Last season opened with dreams of ending a more-than-four-decade championship drought, hopes sparked by the summer acquisition of free agent wing Paul George to pair with 2022-23 MVP Joel Embiid and rising superstar guard Tyrese Maxey.
But Embiid was limited to 19 games due to lingering left knee issues, Paul George managed just 41 with the fewest points per game since his second year in the league and Philadelphia endured a desultory 24-58 season that was largely spent banking on lottery luck.