By this time, odds are you’ve seen countless of trade proposals floating around the internet thanks to big media outlets who can’t wait to get the summer action unpacked. And one of the most familiar faces etched in the interface of these hypotheticals is the Philadelphia 76ers, the franchise expected to be the league leaders in transactions made this coming offseason.
Only the Detroit Pistons are projected to have an airier pocket than the 76ers, and no other team in contention even rivals them in their spending power. Thus, that massive cap space should — and hopefully, would — be an avenue to maximize if you’re Philly’s front office. Luckily, all signs point to their brass doing exactly that.
The 76ers will surely leverage their cap space to pull off a sneaky trade
There are a lot of teams, particularly those stuck in the middle and hard-capped, who would prefer to recalibrate this offseason, perhaps by shaving off a chunk of their payroll to afford themselves some wiggle room to actually make moves. While there are not a lot of realistically obtainable stars in the market, the upcoming pool of free agents isn’t particularly scrawny when it comes to quality rotation pieces.
Philadelphia has all the tools to actually pull off a sneaky trade or two this summer. The kind of teams abovementioned could be lured into trimming the fat financially, and even quality starter-level players could be available under the condition that they are rewarded without a hefty salary in return. Here is a trade proposal that exactly follows those lines.
76ers trade for Bogdan Bogdanovic in this steal of a deal with the Hawks
In this direct trade recently proposed by Bleacher Report, the Philadelphia 76ers acquire swingman Bogdan Bogdanovic from the Atlanta Hawks for the former’s 16th overall pick in this year’s draft, as well as their second-round selection in 2027 from Milwaukee.
Bogdanovic, a seven-year veteran who started his career in Sacremento, has spent the last four seasons in Atlanta, where he firmly cemented his place as his team’s main weapon of choice off the bench. He’s been one of the best sixth men in the NBA for quite some time now, even finishing fifth in this year’s race despite his team’s underwhelming campaign.
The 76ers had one of the lowest-scoring bench units this season, and everyone who comprised their second-unit deck are slated to hit free agency, making benhc scoring one of their primary needs to address. Taking that into account, would this trade do the trick for Philly?
Why Bogdanovic could be the best sixth man possible for Philadelphia
Bogdan Bogdanovic is admittedly a starter-level talent, but there’s a good reason why he’s primarily been a bench operator since his sophomore season. He’s a pretty lethal scorer, even in spurts, and his volume three-point shooting is nothing to scoff at. That’s not even to mention his ability to create plays for others as a drive-and-kick initiator or a pick-and-roll ball handler.
The Serbian wing is still owed an average of $16.5 million over the next three seasons, but that’s actually a perfectly priced rate for his production. In fact, the 76ers have so pressing of a need for a reliable backup that they would probably be amenable to trading for him even if he cost a bit more than his current pay.
Kelly Oubre Jr. (prior to being reassigned to the opening group) and Buddy Hield were Philly’s main gunners off the bench, yet both are unlikely to remain with the team. That makes Bogdanovic such an intriguing trade target for the 76ers, as he’s more consistent than those two, and offers a more well-rounded skill set that is not prone to flaming out.
Even better, Bogdanovic could start when needed as Tyrese Maxey’s nominal running mate. He could take on some of the playmaking reigns to free the All-Star up for more scoring, and his perimeter presence alone would be huge for a team that wasn’t one of the most frequent hoisters from three-point range this season.
Why the 76ers should avoid Bogdan Bogdanovic
On the flip side, Bogdanovic isn’t perfect, and there are other valid reasons as to why the 76ers should also consider looking elsewhere.
First, the Serbian’s defense is pretty suspect. He played north of 30 minutes per game this season, and it’s pretty conceivable to prop that up as one of the reasons behind Atlanta’s historically bad defense all year long.
In addition, Bogdanovic has had problems staying on the court. Three more years is a lengthy commitment, and trading for someone with availability issues probably isn’t atop the priority list for a team that has already been wrecked by injuries at the worst possible times and would prefer to avoid them if possible.
Also, his contract still hovers around the considerable range, and making a swap for him could ultimately debilitate the 76ers front office’s plans to pursue a third star, which remains their main plan this offseason.
Grade: B-