Currently sitting at fifth place in the East ahead of their Sunday matinee, the Philadelphia 76ers are probably a safe bet to make the playoffs after a one-year sabbatical. True enough, this team is starting to catch everyone’s attention, although the roster still needs some polishing to make them as foolproof of a squad as possible come April.
Fortunately for them, the trade market is not exactly lacking in terms of options. One area the front office could look to shore up is the power forward position, something which ESPN resonates with in their recent trade outlook for the 76ers where they had the team targeting Bulls big man Jalen Smith before the deadline.
True enough, the 76ers could use another rotation-caliber player who can man the minutes at the 4 spot. So far, Nick Nurse and the coaching staff have resorted to some funky lineup configurations to make up for their shortage of natural power forwards. While Trendon Watford had just returned from injury, adding another depth piece wouldn’t hurt — and Smith definitely fits the bill.
The 76ers could trade for Jalen Smith to fix their issues at power forward
At 6’8” barefoot, Smith offers a lot of size and resistance at power forward. Even better, he has ample experience playing next to another big man, as well as playing as a nominal center at spurts. There is a lot to like about his positional versatility, which is something the 76ers should desire to bolster their game planning.
The former lottery pick is a capable play-finisher. In just under 18 minutes a game, he is averaging nine points, 6.4 rebounds, and a block, which are great numbers to put up on a nightly basis off the bench. He is also draining 34.5 percent of his threes, which is close to the league average.
Smith does have his lapses at times on defense, but his size gives him a higher floor than usual in that regard. Having said that, he is still signed for apprximately $9.4 million next season, and that kind of roster control is something the front office could either like or dislike depending on the moving parts involved and their financial outlook.
Still, given that the Bulls are unlikely to demand much for him, the 76ers could definitely look into moving the needle for Jalen Smith. Their frontcourt would greatly benefit from the stylistic shift he presents, and even better, he will not make them break the bank.