Philadelphia 76ers: Is Mike Conley a viable trade candidate?

By Christopher Kline | Jan 23, 2019

(Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images) /

With the Memphis Grizzlies nearing a rebuild, should the Philadelphia 76ers look for another star-caliber piece.

It’s officially official. According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, he Memphis Grizzlies are willing to deal Marc Gasol and Mike Conley, potentially moving on from the stars that have defined an era. As the Grit-n-Grind Grizzlies near the end, the Philadelphia 76ers should at least consider making an offer.

For obvious, Joel Embiid-sized reasons, Gasol is off the table. The Sixers should put look into the possibility of adding Conley, though. He’s an ideal fourth star on paper — a versatile offensive guard who can play with or without the ball, all while defending his position at a high level.

The Sixers need depth more than anything else, something fans and pundits have harped on for months. Even with Corey Brewer and Jonah Bolden breaking out, it’s tough to imagine the Sixers competing with such a weak second unit.

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Naturally, some would argue the Sixers should pursue depth, not another star. If the Sixers were to trade for Conley, it would require at least a couple rotation pieces. That just hurts the already-weak bench even more.

That’s a valid criticism, but Conley would also give Brett Brown another high-minutes star who can absorb playing time that currently belongs to T.J. McConnell. There’s also still room to pursue complementary pieces and trade for Conley.

Despite a unique cap situation, the Sixers actually have the assets to make a reasonable push for Conley. Markelle Fultz gives Memphis a young building block with No. 1 pick-level upside, while Wilson Chandler and Mike Muscala can fill salary and get off the books next summer.

The Sixers will have cap space to pursue max free agents, but Conley is probably better than any realistic option. He’s also on contract for two more seasons, rather than the four-year max Philadelphia would give someone like Khris Middleton or Tobias Harris.

You can also imagine free agents wanting to play alongside Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons, Jimmy Butler and Mike Conley. Whether the fit is perfect or not, that’s a lot of talent in one rotation. Adding J.J. Redick to the mix, and the Sixers have the core pieces to genuinely compete.

Like the Warriors, Cavs, Lakers and Celtics in recent seasons, older vets will take minimum contracts to play with competitive groups. The Sixers can develop the youth and add some complementary pieces to keep the second unit afloat.

Here’s what the outline for a Conley deal might look like.

It’s an undeniable risk — Conley has dealt with injuries in the past and is 31 years old, raising questions about his fit with the Sixers’ current timeline. But in order to win championships, you normally need to take risks. That’s what the front office did trading for Jimmy Butler, and that’s what trading for Conley would entail.

Few starting lineups can out-gun Conley, Redick, Butler, Simmons and Embiid on talent alone. The bench still maintains Landry Shamet, Jonah Bolden, T.J. McConnell and Corey Brewer, with Omri Casspi also joining in this scenario.

There’s no guarantee the Sixers can get someone of Casspi’s caliber in return, but Memphis is signifying a rebuild in this scenario. Casspi doesn’t serve much purpose on a rebuilding team.

Assuming he opts in, Conley will make $34.5 million in the last year of his contract, 2020-21. That’s presumably the first year of Ben Simmons’ max contract extension, paired with Embiid and Butler’s max contracts, giving the Sixers’ ownership quite a bit to pay for.

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It’s only one season, though, and ownership seems willing to spend big on a contender. After that, Conley hits the open market and the Sixers can reassess based on the quartet’s success. Assuming the Sixers don’t see a viable path toward Kevin Durant or Kyrie Irving, Conley might be their best bet.