As anyone can clearly glean from their recent actuations, the Philadelphia 76ers are far from finished wheeling and dealing on the transaction tables. With the trade deadline almost dawning, the front office pulled the trigger on another unexpected move, this time going for a roster upgrade but also paying a premium in the process.
As reported by Marc Stein, the 76ers have traded veteran combo guard Reggie Jackson and a future first-round pick (yes, you heard that right) to the Washington Wizards for Jared Butler and four second-round picks. This is the third trade for Philly in the last couple of games, signifying that the front office remains on the lookout for young talents available for taking.
Jackson, whom the 76ers signed in free agency to the tune of a one-year, veteran’s minimum deal, is now parting with the team and joining a ragtag roster in Washington, which had just traded a key player in Kyle Kuzma.
Yet the more important thing to address is if this deal stands to benefit the 76ers given the price they had to pay.
The 76ers take a massive gamble trading a first-round pick for young guard
Butler, who is just 24 and already on his fourth season, will admittedly not ring a bell for many. After all, he has struggled trying to carve out a consistent role for himself, although there is definite promise on his game and attendant youth.
Despite registering just 11.3 minutes per outing this season, the Baylor alum has logged 6.9 points and 2.6 assists per game on 48.3 percent shooting from the floor, including a respectable 36.6 percent conversion rate on three-pointers.
Clearly, there is factual basis to believe that more playing time could be the key to unlocking his potential. Having said that, trading a first-round pick (which is rumored to be from 2026 via Oklahoma City) is steep, especially for an unproven commodity while Butler.
Philadelphia turning a single first-rounder into four second-round selections is nifty, but is equally a huge gambit on their part. Second-rounders, even when consolidated, are only good to acquire medium to high-end role players as recent history suggests.
Spending a first-round pick on Butler, in this case, counts as a risk — one that may actually not be as calculated as many would like. For the short-term, though, he should be an upgrade over Jackson, who has clearly lost bounce thanks to his age.
The Philadelphia 76ers will continue to make moves before the big alarm rings, and whether fans like it or not, they will also keep on making huge gambles, such as this one.