Aside from stating the obvious with Jahlil Okafor, who else could the Philadelphia 76ers be looking to move next season?
Jahlil Okafor is still on the Philadelphia 76ers. Even after an all-out effort to get him off the roster last season, the trade deadline passed with Nerlens Noel — not Okafor — packing his bags and moving elsewhere. In all likelihood, Bryan Colangelo still has trading Okafor as one of his foremost goals entering next season.
With that said, Okafor isn’t the only plausible trade candidate on a roster that’s brimming with young talent. Even as the team trends towards the playoffs, it’s important to remember Philadelphia’s timeline. They aren’t beating Cleveland this year, and Boston is almost assuredly better for at least another couple of seasons. They’re still building long-term — it’s just moving from the middle to the top, rather than starting from square one.
Philadelphia 76ers
That leaves some of their veterans vulnerable on the trade market. J.J. Redick and Amir Johnson are only on one-year deals, and those are always a nice trade chip when dealing with competitive teams who are trying to get an extra boost before the playoffs.
It’s still difficult to see Redick being moved, though, as his fit on the roster extends well beyond the 2018 season. He’d likely re-sign for less next offseason, and his shooting prowess is something that should maintain relevancy well into his late-30s — especially for a team that’s constructed like Philadelphia’s. Johnson would make more sense, but his value is tough to gauge — especially if he’s slotted behind Richaun Holmes in the rotation.
Jerryd Bayless is the name worth watching most. He has two years and circa $18 million left on his contract, which — albeit not a one-year deal — is plenty affordable in the current market. He’s a spark plug off the bench who’s capable of putting up points in a hurry, and that’s something that competitive teams like to have at their backup point guard spot.
Every year, there’s always some form of market for solid backup point guards. We saw Cleveland make a push for T.J. McConnell last season, while Golden State (and Cleveland) both went for Jose Calderon under different circumstances. Guys like Bayless, who presumably stretch the floor and can come up with their own offense in reserve, typically have universal value.
That value extends to the Sixers as well. Assuming his shot doesn’t fall off a cliff, his ability to run the offense and play off the ball fits what Brett Brown needs at his position. He’s likely a more skilled backup than McConnell, and his shooting is something guys like Simmons and Dario Saric can benefit from extensively.
Even though Bayless is the better player in a vacuum, that doesn’t take into account just how important McConnell was to this Sixers team last season. Physical limitations aside, he was a sizable plus defensively and somebody who was voted Teammate of the Year by his peers. He also grew as a leader last season, both vocally when on the court and as somebody who provided a steady hand in the locker room. That’s rare for an undrafted 25-year-old.
McConnell’s I.Q. is enough to benefit the team sans a reliable jumper, and his defensive hustle is something that could easily set the tone off the bench when Embiid and Covington take their breathers. Bayless might be more skilled, but that doesn’t necessarily eclipse everything else McConnell has done for the Sixers over the past couple of seasons.
If McConnell does grind his way to the backup spot behind Fultz, that makes Bayless an easy trade chip. His value to the locker room may or may not affect such a decision, but there’s certainly some value the Sixers could squeeze out of sending him elsewhere at the deadline. Whether it’s a late first round pick or another unproven youngster, it’s the type of low-risk dice roll that could pay off down the line.
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Colangelo will focus on offloading Okafor, but don’t find yourself under the impression that he’s the only one in danger of being moved.