Sixers: Why De’Aaron Fox is not the best Kings trade target
Who should the Sixers pursue in a potential Kings trade?
If the Sixers and Kings are indeed destined for a Ben Simmons trade, the negotiations should start with Tyrese Haliburton. It’s clear the Kings are reluctant to trade Haliburton, but when push comes to shove, he likely has a lower market value than Fox (though there is a strong argument otherwise). Either way, he is the player who Philadelphia should most cherish.
In his second NBA season, Haliburton is averaging 12.1 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 5.1 assists on .456/.377/.800 shooting splits. Those aren’t the splashiest numbers, and he has taken a slight step back from his rookie campaign, but that can be attributed in large part to the Kings’ broader dysfunction. Haliburton is an elite off-ball shooter, the best decision-maker on the Kings roster, at 6-foot-5, he profiles much better defensively as a backcourt complement to Tyrese Maxey.
The Sixers have found a lot of success with multi-guard lineups this season, and Haliburton is much easier to shoehorn into those constructs than Fox, who is slight of build at 6-foot-3 and, again, just not very useful without the ball in his hands. Haliburton combines a point guard’s instincts with the utility of a shooting guard.
Also of note — there are only two players named Tyrese in the entire NBA. The Sixers would have a literal monopoly on the name Tyrese.
Beyond Haliburton, who is in the second year of his rookie contract, a lot of Sixer fans have pointed to Davion Mitchell, the reigning No. 9 overall pick. With Simmons’ value as low as it is, hoping for both Haliburton and Mitchell seems a tad overzealous. There’s a lot to like about Mitchell, who plays the hardest on-ball defense of maybe any NBA player, but he’s nowhere close to Haliburton when it comes to potential trade cornerstones.
If the Sixers can’t pry two lottery guards from Sacramento, then the next obvious place to look is Harrison Barnes. The veteran forward has been one of the few bright spots for Sacramento this season, averaging 19.3 points and 7.0 rebounds on .475/.400/.862 splits. He would fit rather seamlessly next to Tobias Harris, fulfilling the Sixers’ need for a bigger two-way wing. He would also help match Ben Simmons’ $33 million salary.
It can get tricky to match salaries here. With Haliburton in the fold, you essentially have to have at least five or six moving parts in total. That said, this general framework could benefit both sides. Simmons is the kind of star Sacramento simply isn’t getting in free agency, and he’s under contract for another four years — all guaranteed. The Sixers, meanwhile, reinforce depth and have a solidified backcourt of the future in the two Tyreses.
You could also build a simpler package around the combined salaries of Harrison Barnes and Buddy Hield (roughly $40 million per year between them), but that would require a large assortment of picks from Sacramento to make Daryl Morey even pick up the phone.