With the offseason going on for 28 of the 30 NBA it’s a fun time to follow former Philadelphia 76ers players. According to Shams Charania of The Atheltic, three recently made headlines as they were traded for each other.
Charania has reported that Christian Wood has been traded to the Dallas Mavericks for Boban Marjanovic, Trey Burke, Sterling Brown, Marquese Chriss, and the 26th pick in the upcoming NBA trade. This trade can have significant consequences not only for the Sixers’ former players but also for the teams involved in this trade.
The Mavericks and Rockets trade three former Sixers players.
Wood, Burke, and Majonovic are the three former 76ers players in this trade. Had his first start in the NBA as an undrafted rookie during the 2015-16 season. He didn’t impress during that stint but through hard work, he averaged 17.9 points and 10.1 rebounds last season in Houston.
Burke has always been an instant offense during his career, the issue has been his lack of skills in other areas of his game. However, he wasn’t used correctly during his stint in Philly during the 2019-20 season. He had found a home with the Mavs and last season as a third-string point guard averaging 5.1 points and 1.4 assists.
Marjanovic was a part of the Tobias Harris trade in the 2018-19 season. The big man and Harris are best friends and it was sad to see Marjanovic leave that offseason. This past season the 7-foot-3 center averaged 4.3 points and 1.7 rebounds for Dallas.
For the Mavericks, they get to add a borderline All-Star level player in Wood alongside Luka Doncic for essentially role players and a late first round pick. That’s a major win for Dallas, but Houston has a different perspective on this trade.
The Rockets needed to clear up playing time for their young big men in Alperen Sengun, Usman Garuba, and whoever they pick with the third pick. Getting rid of Wood did that for essentially four role players who can be traded or waived and another first round pick is a win. Houston is rebuilding so it makes sense even if they didn’t fair talent in exchange.
It’s unclear if either Marjonavic or Burke will play for the Rockets next season. If they get traded or waived, Sixers fans shouldn’t dismiss the opportunity to reunite with these former players.
In the end, the Rockets and Mavericks accomplished their goals in the way they want to build their respective rosters. Hopefully, these three former Philadelphia 76ers players are better off for it as a result.