With most trade restrictions getting lifted in a just a few days, teams are starting to rev up on their prep work with the market now off to the races. The Philadelphia 76ers are one of those teams widely anticipated to become a key player well until before the trade deadline, and a quick glance at their current record will certainly tell you why.
Despite a recent mini-surge in the standings, the 76ers are still very distant from their desired position. With just seven wins in their first 21 games, Philly is currently slotted in 12th place in an otherwise top-heavy Eastern Conference race. Heck, doubling down on their impressive play as of late would be inviting danger, as the team still suffers from a chronic lack of consistency on both ends of the floor.
To imbue some good news, the front office should have no shortage of viable targets on the trade market. There a bunch of teams that have also gone off to slower starts than expected, and with the title race still wide open, roster turnovers have also become more frequent these days.
Here are three names the 76ers should have on their radar.
3 Players the 76ers should target in trades
3. Jordan Clarkson — Utah, SG
Outside of Tyrese Maxey and Jared McCain, the 76ers are totally without any other meaningful contributors in the backcourt. Kyle Lowry and Eric Gordon have become unplayable, giving the 76ers every reason to chase someone like Jordan Clarkson, who can give them a significant boost off the bench.
Granted, Clarkson’s shooting splits this season may be even worse from the eye test, but he’s also playing under a less talented roster. He won Sixth Man of the Year not too long ago thanks to his explosive three-level scoring, and his secondary playmaking should come beneficial for a team in dire need of any semblance of passing off the bench.
2. Trey Lyles — Sacramento, PF
While currently sidelined due to injury, Lyles has been one of the fixtures for Sacramento in recent seasons. A legitimate power forward who can play some small-ball center thanks to his above-average rebounding, Lyles could be someone who can seamlessly fit within various configurations for the 76ers.
Philly needs actual depth and some variance with its big man rotation, and Lyles certainly presents a different dynamic from Andre Drummond and Adem Bona. He is a legitimate floor-spacing big with a penchant for connective passing, and he is a passable defender with great length who can run and read the floor.
1. Dorian Finney-Smith — Brooklyn, PF/SF
Already a frequent customer in the rumor mill, the 76ers should put Dorian Finney-Smith high up their list of targets before the trade deadline. The Nets are widely expected to double down on their fire sale, and the veteran forward would undoubtedly fetch them considerable assets in return given his desirable skill set.
Finney-Smith, a very good individual defender who can man all frontcourt positions, has been one of the better low-usage role players in the league for quite some time now. Even better, his three-point shooting has been at a career-best rate this season, draining north of 43 percent of his attempts from rainbow country. There’s clearly no risk with trading for him.