What Can Jerry Colangelo Tell Us About Philadelphia 76ers Trade Strategy?

Target Shopping

Well setting up potential targets for trades truly depends on the trade partner not turning a deaf ear on the Sixers initial contact.   But let’s allow Jerry Colangelo to work his magic and just point at players who could bring immediate impact to this Sixers team.

Indiana Pacers small forward Paul George – The possibility of this player being traded does not immediately strike someone as the type of deal that could and would go down before the trade deadline.  That’s what makes this so intriguing.  The Indiana Pacers are a solid team on both the offensive and defensive side of the ball, but they have one achilles heel, the rebound.  In fact, they are tied for 19th in the league with a -1.4 rebound differential.  If the Sixers truly believe in the emergence of Joel Embiid in the 2016-2017 season, they have a window open to explore what it would take to bring Paul George to Philly.  If the Sixers packaged their own rebound leader Nerlens Noel, and as few draft picks as needed, they could harvest one of the best small forwards in the NBA.  Why would the Pacers consider such a move?   They are an aging team with few young talents.  Despite the great offense and defense, the team is stuck in the strata of just better than .500 basketball.  Too good to grab top talent, too bad to go deep into the playoffs.  A Noel/Pick for George would be a win win scenario for both teams.

Miami Heat small forward Luol Deng – He is in the final year of his 2-year $19 million deal with the Heat (giving Hinkie the coveted free cap space in 2016), has a history of producing as an elite wingman when he was playing for the Chicago Bulls. However, he has not been putting up big numbers ever since coming off his one year stint with the Cleveland Cavaliers.  Currently playing at a 10.1 points per game clip, his best playing days are behind him.  But with young talent like Robert Covington on the roster, he could yield a teamwide impact at the position.

Sacramento Kings small forward Rudy Gay –  Gay is very productive, still performing at his career average of 18.5 points per game for the Sacramento Kings.   His offense is lost on a team which is bobbing just good enough to miss out on top draft picks, but just below playoff caliber basketball.   The former Toronto Raptor could absolutely fill the need for a wing-man, but if ever the trade goes down, the Kings would likely ask for more than the Sixers are willing to trade away for  Gay, who still has two years remaining in his contract.

Memphis Grizzlies small forward Jeff Green – Green, also in the last year of his contract with Memphis (again, Sam Hinkie would like this), could be missing piece for the Sixers.  He had a solid offense for the Grizzlies and the Celtics last year. He averaged 17.6 points with a 30 percent shooting from beyond the arc for Boston, while his late season stint with the Grizzlies increased his three-point percentage to 36 percent on 13.1 points a game.

While these are just the tip of the iceberg, each of these players would not only bring offense to the Sixers roster, but a level of veteran savvy and leadership to groom so many of the young players at the position going forward.

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