After a middling stretch, the Philadelphia 76ers have won three straight games to get back in the thick of the race for the upper tier of the Eastern Conference. But despite those wins, their weaknesses as a team are only getting more pronounced, and it is high time for the front office to start actively seeking upgrades in the trade market, which unofficially opens in about a week.
Fortunately for the front office, they may not even have to dig deep to find some suitable names to zoom in on. According to Jake Fischer, a reliable NBA insider, the Pelicans have become willing to accommodate and listen to trade offers for their two starting forwards in Trey Murphy III and Herb Jones, and both project as perfect targets for Philly.
The 76ers, despite having more playable bodies at the forward positions now than a season ago, have already seen their depth therein get shafted due to all the injuries that they have faced. Paul George, Kelly Oubre Jr., and Trendon Watford are all dealing with their respective injuries, and have missed –– albeit, currently missing –– a significant number of games for that reason.
The 76ers could look to trade for Trey Murphy or Herb Jones
Murphy has been one of the most attractive trade targets in the league due to his desirable skill set. He is a volume three-point shooter in a bona fide 6'8" offering, while also capable of creating his own shot.
On the flip side, Jones is of a wildly different ilk than Murphy in that he is a defense-first player who can significantly elevate any ball club's floor and ceiling as a multi-positional stopper. He also shoots the three-ball at an above league-average rate, making him a sleek complementary piece to have next to high-usage players.
Those two are just entering their primes, which makes them near-flawless trade targets for the 76ers. Now, it would be interesting to see the kind of price tag the Pelicans would demand for one or both of them, but it is difficult to envision New Orleans gouging their price so much that teams would have to make an All-Star caliber largesse to get them.
Of course, this one is not within the 76ers' control. The Pelicans, however, are probably already eyeing a reboot due to their ugly situation, and both Trey Murphy III and Herb Jones would be terrific players whom Philly should go after at the first opportunity possible.