Philadelphia 76ers: 5 trades to mitigate James Harden miss

2 of 5

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Sixers trade hypothetical #2

PHI gets: Davis Bertans, Anthony Gill
WAS gets: Mike Scott, Matisse Thybulle, Terrance Ferguson, 2021 PHI 1RP

The Wizards coughed up a five-year, $80 million contract for Davis Bertans last offseason. While he is clearly valued in Washington, the Wizards are getting closer and closer to hitting the reset button. Cap flexibility and young talent could tempt them enough to move the Latvian flamethrower.

Bertans is one of the best shooters in basketball. He’s 6-foot-10 with the shot versatility of J.J. Redick — flying around screens, drilling step-backs, or just camping out in the corner. Bertans needs only the slightest airspace to get his shot off, and he has a quicker trigger than anyone on the Sixers’ roster. He would earn his money, even as part of the second unit. Last season, Bertans averaged 15.4 points while shooting 43.4 percent on 8.7 3-point attempts per game.

This season has reaffirmed the baseline for success when Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons are surrounded by high-level shooters. Bertans kicks it up another notch, and is a significant boost over anything Mike Scott or Matisse Thybulle are offering at this point. The only long-term money for Washington is Thybulle, who can help with the seemingly inevitable youth movement.

To sweeten the pot, Washington also gets Philadelphia’s first-round pick, which is likely to fall in the 20s. This is logical for both sides, but only if the Wizards commit to a youth movement. For as long as the Wizards try to make Bradley Beal and Russell Westbrook work, Bertans will probably remain in D.C.