Sixers trade targets: Perimeter creators
Bradley Beal
Now that Harden is off the table, Bradley Beal seems to be the next available star. Acquiring Beal would require trading Simmons, something many Sixers’ fans did not seem interested in doing for Harden. Beal has the advantage of being only 27, right in line with Embiid’s timeline. Hopefully, the Wizards would not demand much more than Simmons, although it would probably require more pieces to get this done.
Beal would be a perfect fit offensively, averaging an insane 34.9 points per game on 60.8 percent true shooting. There aren’t many perimeter players who can create efficient offense against an elite defense, and Beal is in that exclusive group. He can operate the pick-and-roll at a high level and shift on and off the ball. Swapping Simmons for Beal would significantly downgrade the defense, so pairing this trade with another like acquiring PJ Tucker would be ideal.
Zach LaVine
Zach Lavine is a difficult player to evaluate but the raw offensive output is there. The Bulls shooting guard is averaging 27.7 points per game on 62.2 percent true shooting, elite marks for any NBA player. However, Lavine has never been on a winning NBA team and his defensive effort is very inconsistent. Perhaps being on a high-level playoff team would fix the defensive intensity, but there still is a risk here.
The good news is that Lavine could be acquired without trading Simmons. If the Bulls wanted to tank this season, trading Lavine for Danny Green, one of the Sixers’ young players, and a future first would make sense, although the Bulls may demand more with the way LaVine is playing.
Victor Oladipo
Trading for Victor Oladipo hinges on whether the Rockets plan to re-sign him. If not, the Rockets can flip Oladipo as soon as March 5. The issue with trading for Oladipo is that he is on an expiring contract and would probably be out of the Sixers’ price range, making him a one-year rental. The trade package for Oladipo would be similar to that of Lavine, although the price could be less.
The benefit of Oladipo not being able to be traded until early March is that the Sixers have more time to evaluate his play. Oladipo has looked decent this season but still hasn’t matched his pre-injury peak. With another month and a half of games under his belt, Oladipo could be worth trading for.
Lou Williams
Bring Sweet Lou back to the Sixers! The Clippers could use a more defensive-minded guard off the bench, so a three-team trade based around Lou to the Sixers, Mike Scott and a young player or pick to the Thunder, and George Hill to Clippers makes sense. It doesn’t make sense to give up any significant assets, but a lower level one might get this done.
Lou would also be a rental, but the veteran guard provides instant pick-and-roll offense off the bench. This trade depends on whether the Sixers view Lou as a significant upgrade over Milton and Maxey. Regardless, Williams would be a useful player to acquire, although his value is very matchup dependent. A strong isolation team like the Nets would target Lou’s defensive limitations but Lou would thrive against a drop pick-and-roll coverage defense like the Bucks.