Grade the Trade: 76ers snatch promising young forward in savvy proposal

How trading for Tari Eason would benefit Philadelphia

If there’s one thing to truly nitpick about the 76ers, it’s their roster construction. As of writing, the team is virtually undersized at the forward positions, with Paul George being the lone, natural forward out of their barrage of wings which include Kelly Oubre Jr., Caleb Martin, and KJ Martin.

Eason, a rangy and lanky 23-year-old who can play both forward positions and even some small-ball center thanks to his rebounding prowess, would instantly be a tremendous help to a 76ers team lacking length at that crucial position.

Sure, Eason’s offense needs a lot of improvement to make lineups including him a lot more seamless on both ends, but he’s not exactly hopeless. He shot 34.3 percent from downtown in his rookie campaign and his proclivity for cutting through open lanes and rolling is already a good sign for the possibility of unlocking his all-around game.

The 76ers can probably abate some of their length problems in free agency, but they would have to settle with aging commodities who are honestly just one-trick pnoes at this point in their careers. Eason, however, gives them some relief not only at forward, but also in the age department — something overlooked by many when it should be highlighted in the context of a historically injury-prone squad.