With the NBA Draft only a week away it is time to see what we can do to make the 76ers not only a top 4 team in the East, but to give them their best shot at the Finals. The trade moratorium ends on Monday 11/16. I’ll give you a possible realistic but not actually that realistic trade, and my personal favorite. The homer trade (I have two of these). I am going to be realistic and harsh, especially with my first two trades. The last one will be realistic but let’s have some fun, ya know?
Tobias is still owed $145 million over the next four seasons. Now I am hard on Harris, rightfully so if you ask me, but he isn’t bad. He’s just wildly overpaid. He’ll get you 20 points most nights and is long enough to at least appear as a passable defender but in his almost 100 games in Philly he shoots about 5 threes a game and hits them at 35%. On a team with Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid your highest paid player can’t be a 28 year old SF who shoots below league average from three.
Listen, it isn’t the prettiest trade I’ve ever seen and I’m pretty sure Atlanta would hang up on you but this is doable. Hear me out, Philly gets off of Harris’ massive contract, they get a good backup Center with Dedmon and Bobby Portis will literally fight anyone and everyone, the fans would eat that up. Yeah you have to take Kevin Knox, who might be the worst player in the league, but sacrifices need to be made. Atlanta swaps Dedmon for Gibson who is older but also on a cheaper contract with less years on it. The two guys are fairly close statistically as well. The Knicks get probably their best scorer since Melo, if they want to go bit they can run Harris and Barrett together at the 2/3 but if they want to go small Harris can slide into a stretch 4 with either Randle or Robinson at the 5. Knicks need ball handling, Harris isn’t LeBron but he is good enough to run the enough on a bad team. Philly will need to give up their 21st pick and maybe a 2nd rounder to Atlanta and the Knicks might request a pick swap with Atlanta so they get a better chance at Obi Toppin on Draft Night but this trade is possible. Is it likely? Well, I’d put it around a 3 or 4 out of 10 but hey I solved your Harris problem. He isn’t your only problem but he is one of your biggest.
Let me get you guys a better draft pick. No, I and whatever combo of Morey and Brand am not going to be able to maneuver this team into a top 3 pick. Hell we’re not even shooting for a top 10 pick. We are looking 11-18ish ideally late lottery, though. Sixers pick 21 so you might be asking why would they trade up and lose assets when they could just pick at 21. Great question, and I think there are a few guys at 21 who will fit in well for this team (you can check out my mock draft 1.0 by clicking here).
Okay so best case scenario the Sixers can get off Horfords contract. Harris’ deal stinks but it is nothing compared to Horfords. Al and Joel can’t play together, the expiriement failed. The upside to Harris he is still only 28 and gives you 20 a night. Horford is 34 right now, 36 when this deal ends, and was unplayable at times during the year. I thought it would work, at least better then this but it is time to move on.
These are homer picks, they aren’t likely at all but they are technically possible. Give me a moment but I am going to try and logic my way into both of this potential trades. As far as I can tell Philly still has their 2021 and 2022 first rounders, at least one of those will need to be traded away, downside both drafts are supposed to be stacked but it doesn’t matter if Horford is making $26 million to get Ben some water.
With the Dallas trade, Philly gets a backup PG that they desperately need along with a lights out shooter and Horfords replacement. You can run Kleber with Joel or off the bench. If Kleber comes off the bench you can have Seth start at the two or have him come in to lead the second unit. This team NEEDS shooters. You’ll need to send Dallas your first this year and 2022 but Horford might work with KP and Luka who knows.
This next one Denver HATES. I know how much you all love Buddy Hield though so I did what I could to make the people happy. Sixers will get their backup PG and depending on how small you want to go will also get a new starting SG maybe even SF. You can send Richardson to the bench or to lead the second unit or use him for other potential trades, maybe even to get off of Tobias’ contract as well. Kings get Mike Scott to make the money work and Horford I guess could help some of the younger guys, be the vet presence this team doesn’t really have. The problem is Horford doesn’t fit this team and how they want too play really at all. Maybe you and Denver both send them a second, or you send Denver the 21st pick this year, Denver sends the 22nd to the Kings and you send your 2022 to Denver as well. Ideally you want to keep the 2021 pick or at least put a lottery protection on it. Denver gets Barnes and at least one pick from you, Barnes is overpriced but he can fit into that 3rd or 4th scorer for this team depending on how Porter develops and his health.
Do I think any of these trades will happen? Very doubtful, these last two are probably at less then 5-10% chance of happening but that means it is possible. Probably less the more I think about it. Sixers will probably not make a trade and if they do it probably won’t be Harris and/or Horford but I’m trying to do my part to get you guys a title. I didn’t tell you to sign those guys to so much damn money.