The Philadelphia 76ers keep getting opportunities to make moves that will surely be well-received if done, and with this latest development, that trend stands to continue. This time, though, the hope is they actually pull one off.
To cut to the chase, the 76ers must trade Andre Drummond this offseason. Sure, that may not be the biggest priority for the front office right now with the Quentin Grimes front still unresolved and currently at an impasse, but finding a taker for the veteran big man will be important for the team to seek a better alternative to man his role.
Fortunately, the latest movement in the open market points to the 76ers having the ideal partner to hopefully dangle the former All-Star center away. The Denver Nuggets, which made a savvy swap to acquire Jonas Valanciunas from the Sacramento Kings for Dario Saric, have effectively been blindsided by the Lithuanian big man.
Now, can the 76ers interest the Nuggets with Drummond?
The 76ers should aggressively try to trade Andre Drummond to the Nuggets
As already reported by multiple outlets, Valanciunas has already landed in Athens to negotiate a deal with Panathinaikos. But for that to become possible, the Nuggets will first need to release him from his NBA contract.
Denver, however, remains unfazed, but only insofar as they intend to push through with their agreed-upon trade with Sacramento. The undisputable fact, however, is that Valanciunas’ looming departure will leave them without a bona fide backup for Nikola Jokic which, as the last two years have proven, is probably their team’s biggest weakness.
Drummond steeply declined last season as a finisher above the rim and as a rim deterrent, but surrounded by more competent perimeter defenders in Denver, he will not have to compensate much on that end. He will definitely be an upgrade over De’Andre Jordan, who has become absolutely unplayable during his stint with the Nuggets.
The 76ers do not even need to ask for a lot in return, if at all. A second-round pick swap could do the trick, as Philadelphia’s main goal in a prospective Drummond trade is to free up some more cap space to bring in upgrades from the open market.
With the Philadelphia 76ers still needing to augment their functional depth, especially behind Joel Embiid, as they approach the 2025-26 season, they must do whatever it takes to first have the capacity to do that. Trading Andre Drummond will exactly be the kind of move to get them to that position, and with such an obvious opportunity staring at them right in the eye, they cannot miss this time.