The Sixer Sense
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Philadelphia 76ers Should Trade for Klay Thompson

By Jonathan Kelly

Jan 30, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson (11) shoots and scores over Philadelphia 76ers guard Nik Stauskas (11) during the first quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 30, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson (11) shoots and scores over Philadelphia 76ers guard Nik Stauskas (11) during the first quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /
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The buzz of the Sixers frontcourt logjam has died down a bit this past month but the issue is not going away. Trading for Klay Thompson solves that problem.

Things may have calmed down about the Philadelphia 76ers logjam in the frontcourt, but the problem still remains. Once all three big men are fully healthy with no minutes restriction, how will Brett Brown utilize them in the rotation? It will be tough to give all three of them the full allotment  of minutes that they would see in another organization.

It is clear that Joel “The Process” Embiid is here to stay as he is the heart and soul of the new Philadelphia 76ers franchise. So that leaves Jahlil Okafor and Nerlens Noel up on the trading block. There have been numerous discussions all offseason about which one the Sixers should trade and keep. I am not against trading either of them as long as it is the right deal. Here is one trade scenario that would benefit both teams involved.

Philadelphia 76ers give up Nerlens Noel + 2nd round draft pick and receive Klay Thompson

This would be an ideal trade scenario for the Philadelphia 76ers. Klay Thompson provides what the Sixers need most — a shooter. The Sixers have hoped that Nik Stauskas would turn into the deadly shooter that the team desperately needed but that clearly hasn’t happened. Klay Thompson remains one of the best pure shooters in the NBA even with the slow start this season. The Sixers need to build around Simmons and Embiid and having one extra big man while the team lacks a pure shooter just doesn’t make sense.

Thompson would fit like a glove with the Sixers current personnel. The offense will focus on Joel Embiid but they would have Ben Simmons facilitating the offense and Klay Thompson playing off both of them getting open shots. It almost sounds like a match made in heaven. The Sixers starting lineup would be Sergio Rodriguez, Klay Thompson, Ben Simmons, Jahlil Okafor and Joel Embiid with Jerryd Bayless, Robert Covington and Dario Saric all rotating off the bench. They would suddenly become a very solid young team that would continue to get better as time progresses.

On the other side of that, the Warriors lose one of the splash brothers but gain what they need most — a rim protector. Nerlens Noel would provide the rim protection and interior defense that the team has been lacking since the exit of Andrew Bogut. Noel instantly makes that team better even if that means starting Shaun Livingston or Ian Clark at the Shooting Guard. I mean, they almost won back to back championships with Harrison Barnes right? But seriously, by acquiring Nerlens Noel, that completes the Golden State superteam.  

Next: Why Sergio Rodriguez is the Sixers long term option at Point Guard

The Sixers should be feeling out teams like Golden State and others that have shooters that could be possible trade options. Whether they will make a move soon is uncertain, but they will make a move at some point. It starts with trading a valuable asset while he still holds value in order to fill a gaping need. The Sixers aren’t going to win it all this year, but making a move like that would be a large step in the right direction.