The Philadelphia 76ers will undoubtedly scour the market for players who can reliably back up Joel Embiid next season. The team’s struggles holding down the fort in his absence were well-documented, and it wouldn’t take a trained eye to see just how much the team would benefit from having someone who can keep them afloat in games where he’s absent or sitting on the bench.
However, by kismetic proportions, one of the very few holdovers from this season is actually a big man who can help the 76ers out in that department in the form of Paul Reed. Having said that, his contract is actually not guaranteed for the next campaign, and the front office’s unyielding cost-cutting maneuvers could make him a casualty of that.
The 76ers can get an ideal backup big man in the trade market
In addition, Reed was from from a steady hand this season. In Embiid’s stead, he juggled in between roles, starting in some games and backing up Mo Bamba, an impending free agent, on occasion. Nick Nurse’s vision for him, however, didn’t even come close to materializing, as he simply failed to take that expected leap.
Much has already been said about the litany of options in free agency that Philly should have on its palms when filling that void. But realistically speaking, the front office should also be able to find great alternatives in the trade market. In fact, here is a trade proposal that has the 76ers stealing an underrated big man from a powerhouse in the Western Conference.