If Sacramento decides to trade Buddy Hield on the eve of his contract extension, the Sixers should make a hard push. Hield is entering his prime, has four manageable years on his contract, and fills a ton of holes in the starting five.
The obvious appeal with Hield is his shooting. He’s one of the best volume shooters in basketball, drilling 39.4 percent of his 9.7 attempts per game from deep last season. His range extends well beyond the 3-point line, defenses are hardwired to respect him, and he instantly loosens the floor for Embiid and Simmons.
Hield also brings tremendous value as a shot creator. He can generate points off the dribble, something the Sixers need more of. He’s not a point guard, but he’s a gifted isolation scorer who can help generate offense late in games, even if tunnel vision is a problem from time to time.
Philadelphia also gets Harrison Barnes. Not the best contract, but when you’re able to shed the Harris atrocity, a few years of Hield and Barnes is financial heaven. The Sixers would still have a sky-high tax bill, but the roster makes more sense and, in a vacuum, both Hield and Barnes are more tradeable than Harris.
You lose Richardson, which hurts the defense, but the Kings make this trade with hopes of competing, and Richardson is a quality replacement for Hield on the wing. Harris becomes the No. 1 option next to De’Aaron Fox, and Richardson gets more freedom to do what he does best as a slasher.
This is not the most exciting deal on this list, but frankly, the Sixers will need to work hard to make any Harris or Horford trade happen. The Kings are probably the most gullible front office in basketball, regardless of whether Vlade Divac is in charge or not. Maybe they take a swing.