The Philadelphia 76ers’ busy night continues.
It has been a busy Wednesday for Daryl Morey, Elton Brand, and the Philadelphia 76ers front office. First, Al Horford was shipped to Oklahoma City for Danny Green. Then, Tyrese Maxey — the No. 15 prospect on our big board — fell to the Sixers at 21. And then another big trade. The Sixers have reportedly acquired Seth Curry from the Dallas Mavericks.
According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, Philadelphia will receive Seth Curry in exchange for Josh Richardson and the 36th pick. What a move.
Earlier this offseason, I hypothesized about a potential Richardson-Curry swap. The conclusion was simple — Philadelphia would need to include Matisse Thybulle or the 21st pick to force Dallas’ hand. Guess not.
Curry will join the Sixers’ revamped rotation under new head coach Doc Rivers. He will presumably round out a starting five that includes Joel Embiid, Tobias Harris, Danny Green, and Ben Simmons — with more big moves plausibly on the horizon.
Last season, Curry averaged 12.4 points per game while shooting 45.2 percent from 3-point range. He played only 24.6 minutes per game, but you can expect that number to increase sharply in Philadelphia. His fit with Embiid and Simmons specifically is the main appeal of this trade.
The Sixers do lose a valuable piece in Richardson, who was ill-suited to Philadelphia’s clogged offense in 2019-20. Without other sources of playmaking on the perimeter, Richardson was forced to stretch beyond his comfort zone as a ball-handler and creator — often disastrously so.
In Dallas, Richardson will slot comfortably into Dallas’ starting two-guard spot. He will benefit greatly from the all-encompassing playmaking engine that is Luka Doncic, who will generate plenty of easy looks on the perimeter. This is a mutually beneficial trade for all parties. Philadelphia and Dallas both get better, and both players should see an uptick in production.
This marks the first flurry of moves in Daryl Morey’s tenure as President of Basketball Operations. He has made a strong first impression, transforming Philadelphia’s roster from an illogical mess to a potential contender. The future is bright.