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
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.
Sixers trade targets: Reliable forwards
PJ Tucker
Once the Rockets traded Harden, PJ Tucker became a very logical trade piece. Tucker is on the last year of his deal and provides high-level defense and spot-up shooting at the power forward spot. Because Tucker is already 35 and on an expiring deal, the price should not be more than salary filler and one or two low-level assets. While Tucker probably wouldn’t start, he would be a huge upgrade over Scott and Thybulle.
Rudy Gay
Rudy Gay is also on an expiring deal on a Spurs team that should be looking to free up playing time for younger players. Gay would provide reliable shot creation and defense off the bench for the Sixers. Matching salary for Gay would be a bit tricky but can be done by trading Scott, Tony Bradley, and Terrance Ferguson or involving a third team. Tack on a second-round pick or two and the deal would be done.
Nemanja Bjelica
Nemanja Bjelica is a lesser-known name from the Sacramento Kings. The 32-year-old is an elite 3-point shooter at the four, although a mediocre defender. Bjelica could provide spacing next to Embiid while Embiid makes up for Bjelica’s defense. The salary would be easy to match and the Kings should only ask for a lower level asset to get the trade done.