Nik Stauskas‘ underwhelming career could use a reboot, and the Philadelphia 76ers could find a perfect trade partner in the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Nik Stauskas’ career has been characterized by a constant feeling of disappointment. As somebody who had high expectations upon being drafted eighth overall in 2014, Stauskas’ career has never really taken off. He was in a tumultuous situation with the Kings early on, and has struggled to retain relevance with the Philadelphia 76ers — despite hard work with one of the league’s premier developmental staffs.
Philadelphia 76ers
A league average shooter who came into the league with that as his calling card, Stauskas is in need of some pretty significant improvements in a relatively short time frame. With Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot on the rise and Furkan Korkmaz joining the rotation, the competition for minutes on the wing behind J.J. Redick is quickly heating up. Stauskas could find himself being the odd man out.
There’s plenty to like about Sauce, from his instincts on the floor to his attitude off of it. He’s a great locker room guy, as well as somebody his teammates clearly appreciate in that environment. He has the cool nickname as well, becoming somewhat of a fan favorite as the cornerstone of The Process’ hallmark trade.
But both the Sixers and Stauskas could benefit from parting ways — especially if Stauskas ends up in a more fitting home. The Cleveland Cavaliers could be that home.
Let’s forget the LeBron James drama for a second. It’s a foregone conclusion that, regardless of what happens this offseason or his plans for 2018, James will spend next season in a Cavs uniform. He’s not waving his no trade clause, and in the process has essentially guaranteed Cleveland their fourth straight Finals appearance.
The rotation around LeBron, however, is beginning to thin out. Kyrie Irving wants a trade, and whether or not he’s at training camp shouldn’t distract from the simple fact that James and Irving have obviously strained their relationship. Irving won’t be there when next season ends — or even by it’s midway point — and the likelihood for equal value in return is almost zero.
We could end up seeing Derrick Rose as the starting point guard for Cleveland next season, which would signal the need for more depth at the position. Kay Felder still hasn’t shown much at the NBA level, while Jose Calderon is significantly lower on the defensive totem pole than the vast majority of NBA players.
Stauskas isn’t considered a point guard semantically, but he has shown flashes of being able to play that role in the past. He spent some minutes as the primary ball handler towards the end of last season, where he found some moderate success.
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With such an underwhelming career thus far, it would make sense for Sauce to continue expanding his game, in an effort to both keep up with the times while also giving teams a reason to hold onto him.
He’d give the Cavs another ball handler whose consistency from deep would likely increase when on the receiving end of passes from the King himself. Akin to his perceived fit with Ben Simmons, Stauskas would be a secondary creator off the bench who’s capable of producing in multiple different capacities.
James has been able to transition careers from life support to relevancy in the past, and could do the same with a player like Stauskas. The potential is still there. There’s a reason he was a lottery pick a few years back. It’s just matter of him finding the right situation.
In terms of what the Cavs could offer Philadelphia in return, the expectations shouldn’t be that high. Stauskas’ career is in flux, and his trade value isn’t all that noteworthy as a result. There’s a chance that they could squeeze Felder out of a deal, but a future second round pick or two seems more reasonable.
It gives the Sixers some form of future assets while also opening up playing time for players with more importance on the roster long term. They’d be able to get Korkmaz into more real-game situations, while TLC could take over the reigns as the undisputed backup two.
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Stauskas gets to revitalize his career with LeBron while the Sixers complete a breakup that has seemed inevitable for the past year. It’s far from a blockbuster, but it’s a deal that could benefit both sides, as well as the player involved.