James Harden may be taken, but the trade market is still heating up for the Philadelphia 76ers.
Regardless of your view on James Harden to the Philadelphia 76ers, that ship has sailed. The Sixers need to make a move if they want to keep up with the improved Nets and get closer to contending with the Lakers, Clippers, and Bucks. The Sixers still have two clear weaknesses that will hold them back come playoff time.
First, the Sixers still do not have an elite perimeter player to create against the top defenses they will see in the playoffs. Ben Simmons and Tobias Harris are good offensive creators and Shake Milton and Tyrese Maxey have shown promise, but none look ready to be the main perimeter creator against championship defenses.
Second, the forwards beyond Harris and Danny Green are unreliable, particularly if Simmons continues to play point guard. Mike Scott and Matisse Thybulle are simply not good enough to play significant minutes in a championship-level rotation.
Here are some realistic trade targets that could solve these two problems