What Should The Philadelphia 76ers Do With Their Big Men?

The Philadelphia 76ers have one too many big men, but what should they do to solve the issue?

It is no secret that the Philadelphia 76ers have a logjam in the frontcourt and need to make some changes as the season approaches. The million dollar question remains: what do the Sixers do with their “Big three” debacle?

Philadelphia 76ers General Manager, Bryan Colangelo has already spoken publicly about how the Sixers are interested in trading at least one of their big men but only for the right price. Because the rest of the league sees the Sixers as “desperate” to unload one of their talented Centers, they are failing to reach the same bargaining zone as the Sixers in terms of what they want in return.

In a recent interview on Sirius XM NBA radio, Colangelo stated, “The reality says probably one has to go at some point, but only if the deal is right.” This reinforces the idea that the Sixers are willing to hold out if other teams are not going to pay market value for one of their big men.

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With Joel Embiid not expected to play on the second leg of back to backs for the first couple months of the season, it is still going to be difficult for Colangelo and head coach, Brett Brown to find a rotation that works that includes all of their big men.

The Boston Celtics have reportedly been the frontrunner for interest in Nerlens Noel or Jahlil Okafor, but have been unwilling so far to reach an agreement. Noel, becoming a restricted free agent next summer, doesn’t exactly help the Sixers bargaining power either.

I recently sat down with Boston Celtics contributor at HardwoodHoudini.com, Jim Blaskiewicz to discuss the potential trade between the Celtics and Sixers and what it would take to get the deal done. He suggested that the Celtics should give up Marcus Smart, Amir Johnson and their 2017 first round pick for Jahlil Okafor.

While this offer is not bad by any means, the Sixers simply do not need another big man so adding Johnson solves nothing. I countered that it should be the Brooklyn Nets 2017 first rounder with Smart or Jae Crowder. Either that or a possible trade for Avery Bradley straight up instead.

Avery Bradley or Jae Crowder would add some much needed depth at the SG/SF position and increase the Sixers defense on the perimeter. As mentioned previously, Colangelo does not want to accept a deal that he feels is not right. That being said, the clock is ticking and he needs to act sooner rather than later.

Additionally, rumors have increased in the past couple days involving a possible Avery Bradley for Nerlens Noel trade. This is worth strong consideration from the Sixers organization as Bradley not only adds exceptional defense but strong scoring as well. Personally, I would like the trade more if it were Jahlil Okafor rather than Noel, but at this point, Sixers can’t afford to be picky.

Bradley averaged over 15 points per game last season. Having him and newly acquired, Gerald Henderson as his backup is a substantial upgrade from Nik Stauskas. Do not be surprised if the Sixers make a move within the next week.

Next: Have the Sixers Overlooked Small Forward?

Is the Celtic’s Avery Bradley the answer to the Sixers current roster debacle? Maybe — but in order to find out the Sixers need to act fast.