4. LA Clippers
We have collectively reached the point where Patrick Beverley is overrated. He is not better than Richardson, but for Philadelphia, the improved fit (and extra year on his contract) could prove valuable enough. Beverley has a quicker trigger from deep and is more comfortable providing playmaking support in the halfcourt.
The Sixers also swap Matisse Thybulle, an admittedly exciting defensive prospect, for a former Sixers draftee who struggled at times last season. While Landry Shamet’s numbers were down in LA, he’s still a bonafide shooter who has indisputable utility in the Sixers’ rotation. He already has chemistry with Embiid and Simmons, too.
This would leave LA a little thin at point guard, which could be a turn-off, but if the Clippers are confident about free agency, it’s not hard to see the value in Richardson’s length, tough-mindedness, and occasional scoring spree. Thybulle is probably more valuable than Shamet in a vacuum.
The (slight) longevity of Beverley’s contract, the immense decongestion this trade would provide to the rotation, and the generally dire state of things in South Philly could easily justify this trade for Philadelphia. For the Clippers, an upgrade in talent — and necessary change in general — justifies it.