Should the Philadelphia 76ers swing for the fences?
Fresh off praising Daryl Morey for his patience in the James Harden trade, I came across a three-way trade scenario that I do believe makes sense for the Philadelphia 76ers and all teams involved.
Grant Hughes from Bleacher Report put forth an interesting trade concept.
I altered the framework a little and brought forth this:
- PHI gets: Kyle Lowry, Bradley Beal
- TOR gets: Tyrese Maxey, Matisse Thybulle, Mike Scott, Davis Bertans
- WAS gets: Ben Simmons, Danny Green, 2021 first-round pick (unprotected via PHI), 2023 first round pick (unprotected via PHI), 2022 lottery-protected first-round pick (via TOR), swap rights with Philadelphia for 2024 first-round pick
The scenario has since been floated around and it felt worth discussing.
We’ll explore Philadelphia’s perspective later, but we’ll start with the franchise losing its current best player.
Washington Wizards
Washington will be giving up Beal and Bertans. After moving on from John Wall, Beal cemented his status as the face of the franchise. Bertans is fresh off of signing a five-year, $80 million dollar contract. That is a ton to give up.
Washington isn’t going to the playoffs again and a restart is likely the prudent move, but these are people who go to work every day. Committing to a restart, shipping your franchise’s cornerstone away, isn’t easy.
Beal has been incredibly important to that community and currently leads the NBA in points per game. Bertans is coming off back-to-back seasons shooting over 42 percent from 3-point range.
Yet business must go and for Washington they know the decision should be sooner than later. Their focus should turn to maximizing returns. With this trade, they get three first round picks and a pick swap.
The biggest piece is Ben Simmons. He is signed for two more years than Beal so his value will hold longer. He is a DPOY candidate and it appears he can be that for a decade. On the other end, he is capable of a triple-double every night. His positives are tremendous and he will likely thrive in a different environment even more than he has in Philadelphia. I am a Simmons fan through and through.
Beyond Simmons, they also get three first round picks, a pick swap and Danny Green. I suspect Green would be flipped at the deadline to a team looking to bolster their wing rotation.
All the while, Washington could decide to dive into a rebuild even further by flipping Simmons elsewhere (*couch* Atlanta) and join the New Orleans Pelicans and Oklahoma City Thunder as the only teams drafting over the next six seasons. Either way, the team is currently 3-12 and losing value for their best asset as the losing compounds.
Three firsts, one swap, Simmons, and a commodity in Green is a package nearing that for James Harden when you consider the picks they could return as well.
For all-star trades, this haul would be very solid value.
Toronto Raptors
As for Toronto, they appear to be the big winners from the deal.
The team currently sits in tenth place in the Eastern Conference. A group with championship aspirations has to recognize that this year isn’t going to happen.
Most fans will likely never be okay with trading Kyle Lowry. Some still don’t appreciate the way DeMar DeRozan was moved and that brought a championship. Moving Lowry would be even less popular.
Masai Ujiri didn’t become an Executive of the Year by doing what was popular. He will recognize Lowry is in the final year of his contract. He can help both the team and Lowry by moving him to the right scenario. He could send him home to Philadelphia appeasing the team’s goals and the fans by sending him one of the few places they could understand.
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To mend their broken hearts, Toronto returns Maxey, Thybulle, Scott, and Bertans.
Maxey has already showed flashes of dynamic on-ball creation and scoring. He projects as either a dynamic two-guard with ball handling capabilities, or an electric scoring threat off the bench.
Thybulle is beloved by Philadelphia faithful and would bring one of the rangiest defenders in the league as he’s top 20 in the league in steals, minimum two 3-point attempts, per NBA.com. His shot is falling at a roughly league average rate and Toronto should also offer more spacing and cater to his movement. Scott is more a piece to ease the tax burden on Philadelphia who will be looking to fill roster spots with players on the minimum and likely via the buyout market.
Bertans, fresh off signing his five-year, $80 million dollar contract could serve as an excellent complement to Pascal Siakam. Bertans would spread the floor as mentioned earlier and could defend the easier assignments across a wing rotation of Thybulle, Siakam, and himself.
Toronto ought not balk at the inclusion of a first round pick as Bertans would likely cost more as is and they can receive Maxey and Thybulle to counteract little more than some final games to soak in Lowry’s time with the franchise.
Philadelphia 76ers
Let’s start on what Philadelphia gives up.
Two first round picks, one future swap aren’t nothing. Maxey and Thybulle were late first round picks.
Speaking of the players, Maxey appears to be a dynamic scoring guard. He would be a tough young player to let go, and yet he could have been drafted 20th overall and this wouldn’t be discussed. It shouldn’t cause Morey to freeze now.
Matisse Thybulle is one of the best defensive guards in the league and causes a smothering pairing with Ben Simmons. Yet this combo doesn’t yield results as their two-man lineup ranks near the bottom of duo’s involving Simmons, per NBA.com and Doc Rivers has already relegated Thybulle’s minutes typically leaving him behind Milton and Maxey. For all his prowess on the defensive end he isn’t a perfect fit with Joel Embiid, either. Ultimately, his skill will be less missed than his fame off the court.
Danny Green… He has somehow earned a less than deserving reputation despite being the only back-to-back champion in the NBA. Again, though; changes nothing. He is on the final year of his deal and might not be on the court in the final minutes of playoff games.
Scott serves as cash fodder. His presence will be missed in that he was a somewhat bigger body who could spread the floor. He should be easily replaced via buyout and minimum free agents.
The biggest piece is Ben Simmons. Philadelphia fans don’t need to be reminded of his potential.
Problem is that despite his potential, he hasn’t proven capable late in games. Last year, Simmons averaged less than three points per fourth quarter and muddies the lane for Embiid. Come playoffs, late in game, the floor will congest, and Philadelphia can’t spend another playoff waiting to see where/what Simmons role is. That question had to have some semblance of direction by now.
Philadelphia knows it will be giving up a lot in a 24 year-old all-star, two recent first-rounders, future picks, etc., but putting together a contender doesn’t come cheap. Championships are built on talent and how that talent comes together.
So, let’s focus on what would be coming together.
Bradley Beal and Kyle Lowry.
We’ve touched on it lightly, but Beal’s numbers speak for themselves. He is currently averaging roughly 35 points, five rebounds, and five assists. His creation, his floor spacing, his off-ball playmaking would all be showcased alongside Embiid creating a modern day rendition of Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler.
Beal has been clamoring to play for a winner. He would get his chance in Philadelphia.
In addition, Kyle Lowry gets to return home while competing for an NBA championship. We mentioned how some Toronto fans might never forgive a Lowry trade, but many will understand they’re not winning, they get a great haul, and send their hero back to his original hometown. He would provide proven, veteran leadership while handling lead guard defensive duties, spreading the floor, and dictating the tempo.
Ultimately, this package is similar to the one Houston apparently wanted from Philadelphia. They asked for three first rounders, Maxey, Thybulle, and Simmons. I praised Morey for saying no. This trade adds Green and moves one pick to a swap. That’s a better position for Philadelphia. It doesn’t return Harden, but it does bring in more production with two guards who have combined for 53 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists per game while bringing star power and increased motivation.
Philadelphia would instantaneously be threats to the Brooklyn Nets and Milwaukee Bucks as they make a second attempt at a four star group this time headlined by Embiid and all-star shooting.
Moving forward, Washington enters their rebuild with draft capital and a 24-year old, perennial all-star. Toronto gets real assets in exchange for a final couple games with Lowry, and Philadelphia gets stars and shooting to give Embiid a real chance to show his dominance.
It’s a win-win-win. (Michael scott gif).