Some will grieve over the perceived value of three picks, but none belong to bad teams. They are likely to end up as late seconds, which are a dime a dozen on the trade market. The Sixers even added one later on in the Ennis trade.
Both Burks and Robinson can contribute to postseason basketball, which is what the Sixers covet. The trade also happens to address several areas of need, most notably bench scoring and shooting. Burks is a strong candidate to take over sixth man duties.
The Sixers still haven’t addressed the elephant in the room — Al Horford‘s clunky fit as a starting power forward. Until the Sixers can iron out the starting five, it’s safe to say my confidence in Philadelphia’s competitive aspirations is limited. Nonetheless, this trade certainly helps.
In Burks, the Sixers get a reliable ball-handler on the wing. He’s not a true point guard in the traditional sense, but he’s a capable pull-up shooter and a willing passer who can snake around screens, leverage dribble penetration to his advantage, and help create easier looks for the Sixers’ star duo.
Robinson does his damage as a spot-up shooter. He won’t solve the Sixers’ self-creation woes, but he will space the floor and offer an outlet on the perimeter. Robinson is a better defender than Burks, and he should steal minutes from Mike Scott and Furkan Korkmaz, especially in the postseason.