The Philadelphia 76ers are riding a surprising wave of unexpected success. But the team focus is now towards today’s young core. Here are 5 reasons why the team should trade for Portland Trailblazer Allen Crabbe
In the off-season, the Philadelphia 76ers were rumored to be very interested in signing Portland Trailblazer Allen Crabbe as a free agent. It was a simple matter. The 76ers wanted young veterans and Allen Crabbe appeared to be one of the marquis free agents for the team’s needs.
The Philadelphia 76ers are no longer a simple team. How can you tell? Because fans are coming back to the flock in record numbers, because the team is winning games at the buzzer, because the team’s defense is ranked among the top ten of the NBA, and because folks have differing opinions about who is and who is not truly contributing to the success of this team.
After holding the Blazers to 89.9 points per 100 possessions, the #sixers are now the 9th ranked defense in the NBA.
— Derek Bodner (@DerekBodnerNBA) January 21, 2017
And that’s just for starters.
To The Victor Goes The Spoils
The Philadelphia 76ers just defeated the Portland Trailblazers 93-92 to continue the most unexpected 2017 hot streaks in the NBA. The victory pushed the Philadelphia 76ers to 15-26, 8-2 in their last 10, and 7-2 in 2017.
So now is the perfect time to revisit a trade with the Portland Trailblazers. Here are five reasons why:
Reason I: Simmons’ Coming
The Philadelphia 76ers are winning despite having not had the services of two key players: Jerryd Bayless and Ben Simmons. Very soon, that will change.
Ben Simmons is projected to return in February 2017, which is just a matter of days away now. When he arrives, he changes the team’s chemistry, lineup, and versatility immensely. Whether that is a good thing or a bad thing will depend on the moves the team makes in anticipation.
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Simmons will certainly need minutes on the court, and minutes on the bench. With the recent play of T.J.McConnell, Nik Stauskas, and even Sergio Rodriguez, the team can pull the minutes to rest Simmons. But when Simmons is on the floor, who will sit in the back court with him?
We looked at the current possibilities of players who could play alongside Simmons from the current roster. While combining Simmons with Gerald Henderson, Nik Stauskas, and even Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot all have intriguing possibilities, the combined bits of each would make the ideal player. The veteran savvy of Henderson, the long range scoring of Stauskas, and the audacity and upside of Luwawu-Cabarrot would be ideal.
Allan Crabbe is such a player. Crabbe is playing in his fourth NBA season, He is shooting a career 40 percent from three-point range, and he has huge upside.
Reason II: Tomorrowland
The Philadelphia 76ers are no longer a team with an on ramp for every NBA hopeful. Some young men with incredible NBA talents simply will not work on this team right now. And that is no detraction on their talents. Now the players must be fitted into niche roles. Pieces must now be gathered to fit needs that no long are, but “will be”.
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The future is now Philadelphia. The long waiting period is over. Joel Embiid has transformed the Philadelphia 76ers into a team that believes in itself now. Game-winners at the buzzer, staunch defense, and winning streaks that make national headlines.
But that magic can vanish as quickly as it has appeared. Pieces brought must now must add to the success. Right now, the Philadelphia 76ers are extremely versatile in salary cap, but extremely loaded in contracts to the present day. Only Ben Simmons, Dario Saric, and Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot are contracted to 2020.
Trading for Allen Crabbe places one more key player into the 2020 cycle. That insures the team from contracting for Nik Stauskas and Gerald Henderson in the same year.
Reason III: Salary Cap
In the past three years, the Philadelphia 76ers have not had success. That drove the price of their players down, shaved any interest off, and allowed the team to operate in virtual immunity to the pull of higher salaries for the team’s players.
Swarm and Sting
But the team’s immunity has worn off now. In the surge of 2017 has come a new element, demand for the players with expiring contracts. The contracts of Sergio Rodriguez, Ersan Ilyasova, and Nerlens Noel expire at the end of the 2017 season. Will the 76ers attempt to retain anyone?
If they do, it will cost them a pretty penny. The salary cap is currently expected to rise from $94.1 Million this year to $102 Million in the 2017-2018 season, and then to $108 Million in the 2018-2019 season.
With the Salary Cap rising into the future, long term contracts become less costly to the teams cap management. Crabbe’s $18 M in the 2018-2019 season will be relatively inexpensive to other shooting guards heading into free agency.
Reason IV: Right Fit
Portland’s backcourt is loaded with talent. The Philadelphia 76ers are loaded with talent as well, but the lion’s share of upside is leaning towards the team’s front court. In the off-season, 76ers president Bryan Colangelo attempted to address the 76ers’ backcourt in free agency with mixed results:
Jerryd Bayless was signed for three years, but due to a wrist injury, has missed nearly this entire season. Gerald Henderson was signed for two years, but he two arrived with some injury issues. He has played in 37 of the team’s 40 games so far. Sergio Rodriguez was signed to a one-year deal. He also has appeared in 37 of the team’s 40 games so far due to injury.
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Crabbe is of the right age and experience to be a very solid fit on this 76ers team. He has a polished three-point shot, has been productive in the NBA, and makes the most of his opportunities. In fact, he’s earned more and more playing time each season.
He would be a good competitor for Nik Stauskas, could help develop Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot and next season’s Furkan Korkmaz, and would be a nice compliment to the point guard Ben Simmons.
Reason V: Right Price
To make an NBA Trade happen, the value of what is surrendered must be taken in the context of “relative value”. In short, do both teams walk away with equal chances of improving and at the same level?
The Portland Trailblazers are currently looking for front court help. While Mason Plumlee runs a very physical post game, he is very much the extent of the Trailblazers post game. If he should fall to injury the team would be in chaos.
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The Trailblazers have been linked to the Philadelphia 76ers center logjam, with rumored interest in Nerlens Noel. That rumor did not gain traction as the 76ers center contract expires, and there are no assurances that he would sign on with the Trailblazers for an affordable price.
But the Trailblazers have not been linked to Jahlil Okafor, and that could be the catalyst which could afford some traction for the two teams to negotiate:
Jahlil Okafor, like Mason Plumlee, is a graduate from the Duke Blue Devils. He also plays a very physical type of ball, hammering with his body in the paint, back to the basket. Where Jahlil Okafor does not seem to mesh with the Philadelphia 76ers scheme, he should fit in perfectly at Portland.
Deal Or No Deal?
Despite the struggles for quality starts on the 76ers, Okafor could actually be considered an upgrade over Plumlee. In fact, he is a younger better scoring version of Plumlee. As such, he will command a premium in this trade.
But Jahlil Okafor would be a curious prospect to pair with Plumlee. While that pairing would require patience, the ultimate reward to the Trailblazers would be a long term solution to their front court.
In fact, the exchange of Crabbe for Okafor would benefit the Trailblazers salary cap situation as well as fill a void in their front court. And so, what would this deal look like?
In the end, the trade may never enter the conversation. And for all intents and purposes, it needn’t happen. Right now, the Philadelphia 76ers are winning without a trade of any center. In fact, the team’s playoff hopes are getting brighter all the time.
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As for the Portland Trailblazers? Their playoff hopes are dimming just as rapidly. Perhaps they should consider picking up the phone. What have they got to lose?