Grade the Trade: 76ers get lucky and nostalgic in proposed risk-free swap

Should the 76ers sacrifice their future-proofing to facilitate this deal?

Truthfully speaking, there are still gripes you can pinpoint on this deal. Sure, three first-round picks is not a lofty price for Butler, but there’s no assurance that he re-ups with the 76ers even if the trade pushes through. If so, what Philly’s getting is basically a one-year rental. And because the team is also absorbing him into their payroll without a contract to flip themselves, they are effectively handcuffing themselves into treating next season as a make-or-break campaign.

With few options left to surround their hypothetical Big Three thanks to their sapped cap space under the given set of circumstances, is it really a safe bet that (a) the 76ers can lord over the East next season and (b) a core consisting of Embiid, Maxey, and Butler can be available enough to do just that?

Embiid already touts a lengthy injury history, and Maxey missed quite some time this year himself. Butler, who missed more than 100 regular season games in his five-year tenure in Miami in addition to him missing the entire playoffs this year, is definitely no Iron Man either.

Still, this proposed summer swap is the kind of big swing that the 76ers badly need if they want to catch up to and trump the likes of Boston and Denver in the West. Forget immediate future-proofing — Philadelphia wants to win now, and this trade, if offered on the table, is still a no-brainer.

Grade: A