The Philadelphia 76ers continue to make moves this offseason to add to their already action-packed summer slate on the transaction tables. No other team has had a longer checklist, and one can now safely pencil them in as a successful bunch.
With that being said, the 76ers still have a handful of roster spots to fill, even after the most recent Kyle Lowry signing that addressed a pressing team need. The front office cannot afford to rest on their laurels, especially since doubling down on functional depth is a near-imperative for this squad due to their stars with extensive injury histories.
The 76ers need to trade for more depth pieces
The free agency market may be starting to dry out with most notable names having finalized deals at this juncture, but the Philadelphia has another avenue they can maximize to bring in more rotation pieces — trades. Aside from a cameo involvement in a historic six-team deal not too long ago, the team hasn’t really moved the needle as regards trades.
Unlike most teams, the 76ers don’t really have a lot of tradable players to send out in deals, so they would be forced to offer sign-and-deal scenarios and draft picks as sweeteners. In fact, here is a trade proposal that has the team dealing for a coveted forward for what could be deemed a bargain for the most part.
76ers trade for Dorian Finney-Smith in this bargain proposal
In this trade proposal hashed out by Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley, the Philadelphia 76ers acquire forward Dorian Finney-Smith from the Brooklyn Nets for forward KJ Martin (via sign-and-trade) and a top-four protected first-round draft pick in 2026.
The Nets are in the midst of a fire sale, and Finney-Smith is arguably the most highly coveted forward right now in the market. After trading Mikal Bridges, Brooklyn has started doubling down on piling assets for the future, and the veteran would definitely help bridge them toward that cause with contenders currently lining up for his services.
Meanwhile, the 76ers can still get creative with KJ Martin as they still have his cap hold, opening the possibility of dangling him through a sign-and-trade framework. They also have a considerable array of draft capital they can leverage to lure the Nets.
How does this trade fare for the 76ers? Let’s dig a tad deeper.
Why the 76ers should trade for Dorian Finney-Smith
The 76ers have one of the most lethal threesomes in all of basketball with Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and now, Paul George. Even better, all of them have skill sets that highly complement each other, forming a formidable trio that is not only oozing with talent, but also with synergy.
Surrounding those three with players in well-defined roles will be mandatory. Dorian Finney-Smith, one of the league’s better three-and-D forwards for quite a while now, is exactly the kind of the player they need to smoothen the edges both offensively and defensively. Caleb Martin alone won’t cut it, and Kelly Oubre Jr. is more of a featured role player than one aiming to be complementary.
Finney-Smith offers a ton of defensive malleability, and his ranginess fits perfectly within Nick Nurse’s mercurial schemes on defense. Offensively, he’s pretty versatile position-wise, capable of playing both forward positions while also being comfortable when being trotted out as a small-ball center in spurts.
Philly cannot find a better high-end role player at this point in the offseason, and given the proposed price of a protected firt-round pick and a pretty replaceable fringe role player, the 76ers should instantly pounce should the Nets show warmth to a deal of this sorts.
Should the 76ers trade for Finney-Smith?
There are valid inhibitions against trading for Finney-Smith if you’re the 76ers. One might hyperfixate on his below-average three-point shooting percentage in the last couple of seasons. Another could put a laser on his complete lack of shot-creation, connective passing or off-ball utility as he is purely a volume spot-up shooter.
To hell with it. The 31-year-old fits whatever intangible need the 76ers have, and his weaknesses can be perfectly masked by the moving parts around him. There’s a reason why he’s a highly desired commodity in the trade market for the last few years.
Really, the only impediment for Philadelphia is how much they are willing to overspend. It’s a tad unlikely that the Nets would settle for the proposed price, and contenders in particular would undoubtedly go head-to-head with the team offer-wise.
But for as long as Brooklyn makes him available, the 76ers should do whatever it takes to bring him aboard the Philly train. After all, Dorian Finney-Smith will inarguably make them a more balanced and well-rounded squad on both ends of the court.
Grade: A+ (but the Nets will want more)