Ranking the Philadelphia 76ers trade assets.
The Philadelphia 76ers‘ first round matchup against the Boston Celtics isn’t going well. They are in a 0-3 hole and there doesn’t seem like there’s much chance of series victory at this point. With that in mind, the Sixers need to start thinking about ways of improving the roster moving forward.
The Sixer Sense’s Co-Site Expert Christopher Kline suggested that all facets of the franchise need to be purged, including the roster with exception to Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons. With that in mind, figuring out what type of trade assets the team has moving forward is important.
Building around Simmons and Embiid is important so they won’t be included on this list though they would be at the very top. Without any further delay let’s begin.
15. 58th pick 2020 draft
In the past two drafts, the Sixers have done well selecting in the late second round. They have come away with players like Marial Shayok and Shake Milton. While the 76ers did strick gold with late second round picks recently, don’t expect them to get much value if they trade this pick away. More than likely they would get cash or a future protected second round pick in return.
14. 49th pick 2020 draft
Despite being a slightly better second round pick, this doesn’t have much better trade value overall. They could get an unprotected second round pick, cash, or possibly a fringe player in return for this pick.
13. Future second round pick(s)
The Sixers have most of their own second round picks moving forward and they also own a few other teams second as well. Future records will determine the value of those picks but more than likely, they won’t be too high. Trading away future second would only help Philly move up in the second round.
12. Mike Scott
Despite “Bubble Scott” becoming a thing inside the Disney Bubble, Mike Scott doesn’t hold much value for the franchise in a trade market. His play is already starting to deteriorate at 32-years-old. He’s a step slower on defense and his shooting is becoming less consistent. Being paid around $ 5 million next season seems a bit of an overpay for the veteran big man.
Scott could land Philly a second round pick or a reserve. That reserve could be an unproven young player or a veteran that only has one or two more seasons before he retires. More than likely, the Sixers will need to package him with one of their young players in order to get a good value trade for both.
11. 36th pick, 2020 draft
Having an early second round can be a good piece not only if the Philadelphia 76ers decide to use it on a player with first round talent that slipped into the second round, but it’s also a pretty good trade tool. The 76ers could package it with another high second round pick or a rotation player to move back into the first round of the trade.
10. Zhaire Smith
It’s hard to gauge what Zhaire Smith’s trade value is because he’s barely played in the NBA. However, when he’s played in the G-League he’s shown promise and growth. However, injuries are a real concern for the second-year guard.
Based on those factors he’s worth a high second round pick based on his potential. He’s a freak athlete when healthy could if paired with another player or a pick(s) he could help the Sixers get solid value in return.
9. 34th pick, 2020 draft
This pick can be essentially counted as a late first round pick based on that it’s near the top of the second round. Like with the value of the 36th pick, pairing this selection with another pick could land Philly a first round pick or a solid rotation player. It could also be paird with a player who’s on a bad contract so that Philly could move on from him.
8. Al Horford
Speaking of bad contracts, enter in Al Horford. General manager Elton Brand foolishly overspent on his former teammate hoping he and Embiid could work as a tandem while also giving the 76ers an insurance policy in case Embiid were to get injured. That plan backfired on Brand and the Sixers in the worse way.
Horford and Embiid haven’t been a great pair, especially when they share the floor with Simmons. Horford’s not the elite big man he once was thanks to father time catching up. While Horford can still be a starting center, his $109 million contract makes prospects of trading him unlikely unless Philly attaches picks and/or young players with him in any deal.
7. Furkan Korkmaz
Ranking Furkan Korkmaz’s value was difficult. He could have been as low as 10th or as high as sixth. However, based on his ability to shoot the ball with some consistency from deep, ranking him just slightly above Horford makes sense.
No Korkmaz isn’t the better player between he and Horford, but the big man contract’s makes the sharpshooter more valuable. Korkmaz can still be under his cheap deal for one more sense and if paired with a second round pick, he could land the 76ers a starting level player or a first round pick.
6. 21st pick, 2020 draft
If the Sixers are going to move Horford this offseason, and they probably should, then packaging him with the 21st pick, via Oklahoma City Thunder, makes the most sense. The Sixers could use this pick to get a solid young playmaker in the draft, but if they want to move on from Horford then they have part ways with the selection.
5. Future first round pick(s)
Unless the Sixers lose Simmons or Embiid for most of or all of a season, their future first round picks will most likely be in the late first round. That means they probably won’t be that valuable in terms of trade assets.
If they want to get someone of value they would probably have to package multiple picks with one of their players who is on a bad contract. However, I wouldn’t do that because that would take away the ability to add cheap depth to their roster.
4. Tobias Harris
Let’s be clear, Tobias Harris is the most talented player on this list, despite his postseason struggles. This season, he’s averaged 19.6 points and 6.9 rebounds, while converting 36.7 percent of his 3-pointers. However, was overpaid by the Sixers this past summer. As a result, it would be hard to trade Harris.
Obviously, his deal isn’t as bad as Horford’s in terms of production vs. money, but if the 76ers decide to deal him, they will have to package him with a player or pick to get a player of value in return. They could trade him someone worth equal value who’s also on a bad deal as well.
3. Josh Richardson
Despite having an up-and-down season due to injuries, Josh Richardson is still a valuable player in trade negotiations. When healthy, Richardson is a talented two-way wing. He’s not an All-Star but he’s a fifth starter on a championship team. It also helps that he’s on a really good contract. He’s set to make $10.8 million next season, so Philly shouldn’t have any problem trying to move him if they want.
In-fact they could package him with one of their bad contracts on their rosters and potentially could get a pretty good player(s) in return. That would probably be their best course of action moving forward.
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2. Shake Milton
Shake Milton has been one of the best stories for this franchise this season. He showed potential to be close to if not an All-Star level player before the NBA hiatus. Despite him cooling down a little bit inside of the Bubble, he’s one of the top young players on this roster not named Simmons or Embiid.
What also helps is that he will make less than $2 million per year for the next three seasons. He’s a cheap young player with extreme upside. Clearly he’s a player that Philly should want to keep but if they want good value in return for getting Harris or Horford off their books, then Milton may have to be included.
1. Matisse Thybulle
It was tough choosing who had the highest trade value between Milton and Matisse Thybulle, but Thybulle’s potential could have him as one of the best defenders in the NBA. He’s clearly the top defender in his draft class and is arguably a top-25 defender in the NBA. Once he improves in decision making on defense and becomes a consistent offensive threat, he will be a very good player in the NBA.
He could help the Sixers land a very talented player, especially if he’s included in a trade with other players or picks. If the franchise was smart, then they should try to keep him for the long term. There just aren’t that many players that have his defensive potential.
The Philadelphia 76ers are probably going to lose their playoff series against the Celtics. Working under that assumption, they need to start evaluating what changes they can make to the roster and how they can do it.