DALLAS – No, they can’t.

Yes, they can.

The 76ers could erase a mistake this summer. The move that could help them rediscover their fight, their future, and the hearts of their fans.

A team clogged in salary cap misery could find hope, again. A team that became too old after acquiring a 34-year-old superstar could return to being one of the league’s young and emerging teams.

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Six offseasons after shedding Al Horford’s enormous salary, one has to wonder if the Sixers can do the same to Paul George’s deal. Like Horford’s one-year tenure in Philly, George has been a disappointment after signing with the Sixers in July.

He’ll miss his sixth consecutive game Sunday when the Sixers face the Dallas Mavericks (1 p.m., 6ABC) as he rehabs his ailing left groin and left knee. In total, the 6-foot-8, 220-pounder has missed 25 of the Sixers’ 66 games, because of various injuries and load management.

The nine-time All-Star averages 16.2 points, the fourth-lowest average of his 15 NBA seasons. George, who turns 35 on May 1, is no longer able to blow by defenders and has people wondering if he’s cooked.

That’s not a good thing for the Sixers, considering there are three years and $162.3 million remaining on his contract.

At first thought, one would surmise that George has an unmovable contract.

What team would trade for a player who, by all appearances, is a shell of his former self and owed an average of $54.1 million over the next three seasons?

There’s always one team. Maybe two or three.

But that’s a move an executive would only make if he thought George could be the final piece to an NBA championship. It would be similar to the Golden State Warriors acquiring Jimmy Butler from the Miami Heat to play alongside Steph Curry and Draymond Green.

The team would also have to feel comfortable about George’s injury history. The good thing is most of his ailments have been acute injuries. If treated properly, they shouldn’t lead to chronic conditions. And, there will be some level of concern since he’s an older player.

But a team would be acquiring him as a two-way wing, which is something every team needs. The fact that players tend to do better after leaving the Sixers could also calm the nerves of potential trade partners.

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Folks in Philly thought Horford was washed up at 33 while playing for the Sixers during the 2019-20 season.

Instead, he resurrected his career one season later with the Oklahoma City Thunder. He was traded to the Boston Celtics for a second stint there on June 18, 2021. Last season, Horford played a key role on the Celtics’ championship team. And the center, who turned 39 on June 3, is still playing at a high level in Boston.

Meanwhile, Sixers fans couldn’t wait to dump James Harden and Tobias Harris.

Harden is an All-Star this season with the Clippers, a year after forcing a trade out of Philadelphia. And Harris was criticized for not living up to his lucrative contract with the Sixers.

On July 8, he signed a multiyear deal to play for the Detroit Pistons, who had the league’s worst record of 14-68 last season. Harris’s leadership and play are credited for aiding in Detroit’s massive turnaround. The Pistons were in sixth place in the Eastern Conference with a 37-30 record heading into Saturday’s game against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

And he’s having a better season than George, who replaced him in Philly. So maybe it isn’t the players but the Sixers’ scheme that have led to their struggles.

But honestly, there was skepticism about George signing with the Sixers from the start. Philadelphia is a tough and demanding place to play, where fans expect players to be aggressive alpha dogs. But that’s often hard to do in George’s case when, at best, he’s a third option behind Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey.

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Plus, the laid-back George never had to deal with this type of scrutiny during his previous stops in Los Angeles with the Clippers, in Oklahoma, or Indiana.

So the way things are playing out was always a possibility. Nor is it surprising that there are reports that the Sixers will try to move him this summer. This comes after sources said that the Warriors and Atlanta Hawks had some interest in acquiring him ahead of the Feb. 6 trade deadline. Golden State even attempted to do a sign-and-trade with the Clippers for George in June before he signed with the Sixers in free agency.

A trade might benefit George and the Sixers.

He would go to a place where he’s a better fit. Meanwhile, the Sixers would unload his salary, acquire younger players, and draft assets.

All it takes is one team looking to add a championship piece.