For all intents and purposes, the Philadelphia 76ers are absolutely not bereft of talent on their roster. Despite what their terrible record indicates, they tout one of the most loaded decks in all of basketball, though their collection of talent has yet to really move the needle for the franchise in what has been an absolute disappointment of a season so far.
Admittedly though, the 76ers have a top-heavy roster, though that is in large part due to their role players underperforming. The front office managed to snag a handful of bargain bin players in free agency, but save for one or two players, nearly everyone has played well below what was expected of them before the campaign began.
At this point, it would be much wiser for the front office to be more prudent in its spending and dealing, but as extensively known in Philly, desperate times call for desperate measures. With the trade market slated to begin shortly, should the 76ers try to be in the hunt for another big-named player?
Well, this latest rumor points to that being at least a remote possibility.
The 76ers could realistically afford All-Star big man in a trade
One team everyone is eyeing as a key player in the trading landscape in the present campaign is Chicago, which has an abundance of pretty tradable players incompatible with their impending, full-blown youth movement.
Conjunctively, one name to watch for buyers that would come knocking on the Bulls’ doors is NIkola Vucevic, who is quietly having a very strong season, averaging 20.9 points, 10 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per outing on a staggering 57.7 percent shooting from the field, including an elite 46.9 percent conversion rate on three-pointers, which he hoists up with good volume.
Nevertheless, the Bulls do not view him as a significant part of their immediate future. According to NBA insider Jake Fischer, teams are projected to be more welcoming to a trade for him than, say, Zach LaVine, and his price tag won’t hurt anyone’s wallets.
Vučević's $20 million salary, with a third and final season to go at $21.5 million in 2025-26, is far more palatable for teams to absorb. One GM told me he would put the two-time All-Star's likely price point in a trade at two second-round picks.
A two-time All-Star still posting All-Star numbers would certainly command more than that, right? Realistically, the answer is a resounding yes, but teams probably won’t need to go much higher than that in the pecuniary scale. Vucevic is a beneficiary of a pretty inflated role, and at this point in his career, he would be much more conducive to winning with a reduced plate.
Could the 76ers, a team in dire need of reliable center play due to Joel Embiid’s nebulous situation, make a play for him? Philadelphia does have the required and reported pot sweeteners to kickstart discussions, but the Bulls would also have to love whoever the 76ers send out in a hypothetical deal.
For now, suffice to say that the Philadelphia 76ers have some very intriguing routes to take in order to improve the roster. And if they want to go to the extremes, the door is not completely shut.