Why trading for Zach LaVine would be a shortsighted move for the 76ers
For all the merits that come along with adding Zach LaVine into the fold, it’s objectively unlikely that he’s the player who can bring the 76ers over the hump, especially with the bar having suddenly become so high to even win the conference.
If Philadelphia embarks and triumphs on nabbing LaVine, the reality is that the franchise will have to stick to that core for the foreseeable future. That means the front office will have to bid adieu to its glorious plans next year when they will have boatloads of cold cash available for spending and to financial flexibility for the meantime.
Looking comparatively between Philadelphia and its rivals, there’s a good chance that LaVine, while possible still remaining just as lethal, if not more, ultimately ends up becoming much more of a floor-raiser than a ceiling-raiser. After all, he has only sniffed four playoff games in nine seasons, and doesn’t truly answer a legitimate point of concern for the 76ers position-wise or skillset-wise.
For those reasons and given the context, perceiving the hypothetical scenario of the 76ers trading Harden for LaVine as a reactionary move would perhaps be equitable. Philadelphia will soon have optionality of the magnitude it has very rarely enjoyed before during its competitive stretches, and while punting the season is absolutely not an option, a wait-and-see approach instead of going all-in would be more reasonable.
Grade: B