Sixers trade hypothetical #5
- PHI gets: Zach LaVine, Garrett Temple
- CHI gets: Danny Green, Matisse Thybulle, Tyrese Maxey, 2021 & 2023 PHI 1RP
So far this season, Zach LaVine is averaging a career-high 27.4 points and 5.3 assists per game. He is doing so on .640 true shooting percentage, by far the highest mark of the 25-year-old’s career. The sustainability of his efficiency is yet unseen, but it’s clear LaVine is one of the NBA’s premier shot-makers.
The Sixers still sorely lack an elite creator on the perimeter — someone who can generate offense from scratch. LaVine would comfortably fill that role. He has a reputation for hijacking possessions, but improved passing and decision-making this season seem to indicate a significant leap forward in LaVine’s stardom.
There’s no rush or pressure for Chicago to trade LaVine, if only to acknowledge of lack of direction in that franchise. The Sixers would need to spend a hefty price to get LaVine. If Ben Simmons is a no-go, Philadelphia would need to cough up both young talent and draft capital to even open the doors to a conversation.
Thybulle, two first-round picks, and Tyrese Maxey — already one of the best rookies in the NBA — feels hefty. But LaVine is bona fide, and if the Sixers want to pair him bad enough, it will take sacrifice. It might take even more than that. It’s then up to Morey to decipher whether LaVine increases Philadelphia’s competitive odds enough to justify such a trade.
A starting five of Zach LaVine, Seth Curry, Tobias Harris, Ben Simmons, and Joel Embiid could do some damage. That much is certain.