3 Trades to Get the Sixers Back to the Finals
With the NBA Season up on pause due to the coronavirus pandemic, there’s no better time to look towards a better future. Regardless if we see the Sixers again in the regular season, the postseason, or at all, there are three trades Philly should be considering if they want to be considered title favorites once again.
1. Bradley Beal
Washington receives: Tobias Harris, Josh Richardson, 2020 1st round pick (from Clippers)
Philly receives: Bradley Beal, Moe Vagner
Bradley Beal should be Philly’s number one target heading into the offseason. In fact, Bradley Beal from 4 years ago would still be atop this list for his elite shooting ability alone. But in those 4 years he has transformed his game to become the complete offensive package and a true superstar in this league. Currently averaging a staggering 30.5 PPG and 6.1 APG, Beal would fill the void left by Jimmy Butler as a shot creating sniper capable of consistently leading the team in scoring. Tobias Harris and Josh Richardson are very talented, but are largely inconsistent. Acquiring Beal would take the offensive burden off the shoulders of Joel Embiid and give them the perimeter scorer they desperately need to close out games. If they are smart, the Wizards should welcome this deal, as it’s becoming clear a Bradley Beal John Wall led team has already peaked given their large contracts and Wall’s injury history. Harris and Richardson would provide Washington with more than enough talent to move for other assets or to place around Wall should he ever return to his All-NBA form.
2. Buddy Hield
Sacramento receives: Tobias Harris, Zhaire Smith
Philly receives: Buddy Hield
Are you noticing a theme? If there’s one thing a team with Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid will always need… it’s MORE shooting. Buddy Hield gives you this and then some. The current 3-point shootout champion, Buddy has always been known as a deadeye shooter who can get hot in a hurry. He may not offer you much else besides scoring, but that’s okay. With so many defenders and playmakers around him, he can focus on what he does best, shoot. While much more athletic and stronger defensively, Buddy would allow Philly to return to the offensive success they enjoyed with JJ Reddick running off screens, spacing the floor, and knocking down open jumpers. For Sacramento, this deal allows them to cut their losses. After signing a massive contract extension, Hield has fallen out of favor with the Kings, as he was even moved to the bench for a stretch of the season. Adding Tobias Harris would give them a proven veteran scorer and provide Bojan Bogdonavic starters minutes. Sliding Harris in at Power Forward would allow the Kings to roll out a tantalizing small-ball lineup with plenty of firepower capable of playing as fast Head Coach Luke Walton wants.
3. Spencer Dinwiddie
Brooklyn receives: Josh Richardson, Raul Neto, 2020 1st round pick (from Clippers)
Philly receives: Spencer Dinwiddie
While there is no love lost between Philly and Brooklyn, this is a deal that makes a lot of sense for both sides. Once again, Dinwiddie would provide the Sixers with the consistent perimeter scorer they’ve been missing. Averaging 20.6 PPG and 6.8 APG, Dinwiddie has carried the Nets for 2 seasons now. With his blend of spot up shooting, underrated playing, and elite Isolation game, Dinwiddie has become a borderline All-Star guard. He may not be a lockdown defender, but when you’re surrounded by the numerous elite defenders Philly has, you don’t need to be. For Brooklyn, there have already been rumblings that somebody has to be the odd man out once KD returns next season. If the choice comes down to Caris LeVert and Dinwiddie, the Nets will choose LeVert, as his game fits much better with Brooklyn’s too All-Stars. Adding Josh Richardson to that group would give Brooklyn a potent two-way lineup filled with elite level role players. If Philly could pull off this deal without giving up Tobias Harris, it would be the perfect deal to put them back on track to competing for a title.