Three Big Names To Watch for Sixers at the Trade Deadline

Improvements are necessary.

After a little over the quarter mark of the NBA season, the Philadelphia 76ers stand in first place in the Eastern Conference. Based on most pundits' analysis and predictions, this is a surprise. However, the team certainly has its holes, which are currently being revealed in their West Coast trip. Their inconsistent three-point shooting and defense combined with lack of depth at the four and playmaking outside of Simmons are problems that will hurt them as the season goes forward. Nevertheless, with a weak Eastern Conference and an unguardable Joel Embiid, the 76ers championship window has emerged despite the problems mentioned earlier. If the Sixers want to make a serious run this year, they must make changes at the deadline, big or small. So, here are a few big names Daryl Morey should attempt to acquire by the NBA trading deadline.

This article is the first of an ongoing series, where I’ll evaluate potential trading candidates for Sixers. The next article will be on trading for role players, and then the buyout market.

Kyle Lowry

Kyle Lowry to the Sixers would instantly put this team into championship favorites in my opinion. The Philly native has consistently shown to be one of the most versatile point guards in the NBA with strengths in facilitating, shooting, driving, and defense despite his size. Although his flopping can drive Philly fans ludacris, including myself, he is one of a select few prominent point guards who can play off-ball with Simmons on the floor. The wrench in this trade would be Kyle Lowry’s salary ($30.5 M USD) and the amount of assets it would take to trade him. They would at least need to throw in Danny Green, Furkan Kormaz, Mike Scott, a protected-first and perhaps Maxey or Thybulle. What’s working in the Sixers favor is that Lowry is in the final year of his contract, however. If the Sixers are truly in a championship or bust mentality as declared by Daryl Morey and are willing to potentially mortgage their future, Kyle Lowry is a must.

Victor Oladipo

Basketball is simple. Score the ball and stop the opponent from doing so as well. Victor Oladipo’s prowess on both defensive and offensive at the shooting guard position is precisely what the Sixers need. The positives of Oladipo is that he fits well with the starting five due to his spacing, ability to score in a plethora of ways, and on-ball defense. However, he takes quite a few shots (17.9 FGA per game with the Rockets), so the Sixers probably wouldn’t be maximizing his skill set by solely playing him with the starters. Therefore, if I was Doc Rivers, he would be my sixth man. His presence would add some desperately needed defense and experience to the bench and during close games he would finish with the rest of the starters. Oladipo should command less value on the trade market compared to Lowry due to the fact that he probably won’t stay in Houston after this season and injuries. Danny Green, Korkmaz, Scott, and a second round pick or two may be enough to get Houston to pull the trigger, ideally (key word). However, the Rockets’ owner still seems to hold a grudge with Daryl Morey as reported by Brian Windhorst regarding the James Harden trade.

Bradley Beal

After that stretch of under 14 points games for Ben Simmons, the Sixers fans-base was screaming for Bradely Beal. Beal is the only player that I would perhaps entertain the possibility of giving up Simmons at the deadline. Although I wouldn’t do a deal for Beal because there’s no replacing even half of Ben’s facilitating and defense, I understand the appeal. Beal is one of the best scorers in the league and the best the Sixers can get this deadline. The spacing Beal would provide over Simmons is immense but does that necessarily lead to more offense? My guess would be yes, but the regression on defense would be far greater. If I’m Daryl Morey, the lowest offer I consider from the Wizards is Beal, Hachimura, and a first round pick protected.

Final Thoughts

The 2021 NBA title is there for the taking. If the Sixers are truly all- in this season, they need to make changes. Whether it's rounding out the bench or adding one of the aforementioned players, the Sixers can make themselves close to title favorites at the NBA trade deadline.

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All stats were via Basketball Reference

Featured photo from Keith Allison