Heading into the 2020 NBA Trade Deadline, the point guard depth chart is probably the weakest out of all the positions that needs to be address.
Similarly to last season, I’ll be covering three potential trade targets at each position heading into the NBA Trade Deadline. The first position up is the point guard spot and it’s depth chart is probably the weak spot of the Philadelphia 76ers bench. Upgrading that position is a must.
Ben Simmons has been dynamic as of late after a slow start to the season. In regards to the backup point guard role, it’s been a back-and-fourth battle between Raul Neto and Trey Burke with neither proving to be the long-term answer.
Neto is more of a traditional point guard that can run an offense smoothly and isn’t a bad defender for his size. Sadly, he’s not much of threat to put up big numbers. Burke on the other hand, is a score first point guard, which has been needed for the Sixers for portions of the season. However, he’s a liability defense and the ball can stick in his hands too much sometimes.
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Last year, I wrote that 76ers needed a point guard that can score and shoot from outside, which is still true this year. However, to be more specific, Philly needs a shot creating outside shooter that won’t be a liability on the defensive end.
The reason being is not only do to both of the current backups have major flaws, but Simmons has shown that he’s able to play well with another point guard as acting like a big in a pick-and-roll set up. With that in mind here are three playmakers that could potential fit that bill for the Sixers.
*It should be noted that Derrick Rose won’t be included in this list purely because his potential fit with the team has already been written about before here at The Sixer Sense and there’s already a rumor out that Philly is interested in him.
Jevon Carter
Before getting into why the Philadelphia 76ers should potentially trade for Jevon Carter, I need to admitt that I’m little bias when it comes to the second year point guard. The reason being is I’m a huge fan of when he played for the West Virginia Mountaineers in college.
With that being said, there’s more than my personal bias driving my reasoning that Carter would be a good fit on the Sixers. The first being is that he’s one of the better defensive point guards in the league.
His 0.7 steals in 13.6 minutes a game is impressive and he would only add to the 76ers already elite perimeter defense lead by Simmons. Carter plays a similar style of physical defense that defensive stud Patrick Beverley does for the Los Angeles Clippers.
Offensively, Carter still has his limitations as he’s only in his second season on a new team. For the year, he’s averaging 3.6 points and 1.4 assists, while making 37.6 percent of his field goals and 38.2 percent of his 3-pointers.
It should be noted that when he does get a bigger role, he tends to do well. For example, in October he averaged 8.0 points, 3.2 assists and 1.3 steals, while shooting 47.6 percent on 4.2 3-point attempts in 22.0 minutes per game.
Carter has the potential to be a positive on offense while being a great defensive player from the start. A deal to acquire the 24-year-old point guard might look like the hypothetical trade below.
The Suns already have three other young point guard prospects in Ty Jerome, Elie Okobo, and Jalen Lecque and need more depth at both power forward and center positions. Swapping big man Jonah Bolden for Carter helps both the 76ers and Suns fill holes on their roster. If the Phoenix really wants to the stingy, then Philly might have to through a future second rounder in the hypothetical deal, but the potential trade above is fair enough.
Jalen Brunson
Out of the three players listed as potential targets in this piece, Jalen Brunson might be the most obtainable. It’s not that the Dallas Mavericks don’t value what Brunson can bring to the court, but they are in the market for a big man.
Recently, their starting center Dwight Powell went down with a season ending Achilles injury. Their current backups for the position are Maxi Kleber and former Sixers center Boban Marjanovic. Kristaps Porzingis can play the position at times and Marjanovic can only play in certain matchups, so really the Mavericks only have one full-time and fully capable center on their roster right now.
Below is a potential trade that could help the Mavs fix their big man problem. (Harrison Grimm of The Painted Lines originally came up with the parameters of the deal in a tweet and should be recognized for it).
Kyle O’Quinn can come to Dallas and fill their need for a backup big man, despite Philly not using him as of late. The 76ers get their backup point guard of the future in Brunson. He fills their need of someone that can run an offense and create his own shot. This season, he’s averaging 7.3 points and 3.2 assists, while converting 31.5 percent of his 3-pointers.
It’s true that Brunson needs to improve his 3-point percentage and defense, but his potential, as well as his ability to play now makes this trade worth the gamble for Philly. The Mavericks also win this trade as the fill a need on their roster for the upcoming postseason.
Tomas Satoransky
While the Chicago Bulls aren’t necessarily using Tomas Satoransky as a point guard this year, there’s no doubt the 6-foot-7 veteran can fill the role. The big playmaker would be the most ideal player on this list to trade for.
He’s a multi-positional defender and offensive player, who’s having a career season. This year, he’s averaging 9.8 points, 3.6 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.3 steals, while making 34.0 percent of his attempts from deep.
He’s not great at creating his own shot, but his playmaking, 3-point shooting and defense would be a massive upgrade for the Sixers coming off the bench. Below is potentially what it would take to acquire him.
Mike Scott‘s salary is the main reason why he’s in the deal, but losing Zhaire Smith is a tough pill to swallow. Smith’s potential is great, but his salary makes the deal work and it helps the 76ers avoid adding any draft compensation in the deal. His potential is the reason why the Bulls could consider parting ways with their veteran playmaker.
Satoransky would help make the Sixers have a playable point guard in the playoffs. He’s also a legit playmaker off the bench that isn’t a defensive liability and can score the ball on of three levels. It’s nice that while he can play point guard, he has the size and skills to play all three perimeter positions on both sides of the ball.
The Philadelphia 76ers need to upgrade their point guard position. Whether it’s these three players, Rose or anyone else, the Sixers should realize that they need to improve the depth behind Simmons before the trade deadline.