Philadelphia 76ers: Best trade in team history with New Orleans Pelicans

The Philadelphia 76ers and New Orleans Pelicans have a lopsided trade history.

Throughout this series of articles covering the best trade the Philadelphia 76ers have made with each team, some teams have gotten the better end of the trades more often than the Sixers. When looking at the trade history between the 76ers and the New Orleans Pelicans, this is especially true.

There have been a total of six trades between the two clubs. There have been some high profile names traded between the two franchises like Jrue Holiday, Nerlens Noel, Glenn Robinson, and Jamal Mashburn. Sadly, the trades involving any of those players aren’t any trades that Philly has especially won.

It should be noted that the first trade between the two franchises occurred in 2005 and the most recent one happened in 2015. The most recent one in 2015 is the deal that is probably one most in the Sixers favor.

The best trade ever between Philly and New Orleans was…

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In terms of talent, Ish Smith is a journeyman backup point guard. He’s played for 11 teams in nine seasons. However, he’s played for the 76ers twice and this trade kicked started his second tenure with the club. With Philly, he averaged 13.8 points and 6.7 assists.

The 76ers were in desperate need of a point guard with their only other options being a rookie T.J. McConnell, an injured Kendall Marshall, and a post-injury Tony Wroten. Smith stabilized the point guard position for the rest of that rebuilding season for Philly and helped developed young talents like Jerami Grant, Richaun Holmes, and Robert Covington.

Giving up two second round picks may have been overkill for a backup point guard but the Sixers had so many under former general manager Sam Hinkie it made little difference. The two players there were selected were David Michineau in 2016 and Frank Mason III in 2017.

Neither player ever played a minute in New Orleans. Michineau was traded during the draft to the Los Angeles Clippers and never played an NBA minute. Mason pick was traded in the season before he was drafted to the Sacramento Kings where he played two seasons and is now a member of the Milwaukee Bucks.

Smith isn’t a player that can usually be considered as a win in a trade, but considering the Philadelphia 76ers’ uneven trade history with the Pelicans, its the best value trade the Sixers have made with New Orleans.