The Case For Trading Everyone On The Sixers
Sooner or later, everybody’s gotta go.
![[photo: Mitchell Leff/Getty Images]](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4f75e941-af82-4bc3-828a-e50d694ae4be_1200x601.jpeg "[photo: Mitchell Leff/Getty Images]")
The Case Against Everything is a column that provides both sides of a debate, giving you ammo for your Twitter fights. It’s written by James Beale, who used to write about sports.
On one hand, the 76ers, 11 games over 500 with signature wins over the Bucks, Lakers, and full-strength Celtics, a 538 projection that has them hovering near the top of the league, and a top-heavy defense-first roster designed for the playoffs, are fine. If they make zero moves at the deadline, sign one buyout guy who can help in the regular season, and avoid disastrous injuries at the wrong time, they will compete for the NBA championship.
On the other hand, they just got their proverbial boots smoked in back-to-back games, have a worse road record than the Kings, and their mismatched roster includes two stars who can’t play together, two more guys owed a combined $277,000,000 who weren’t even snubbed for the All-Star game, and zero bench players capable of providing night-in, night-out production.
This column – the case for trading literally every player on the 76ers roster – is for the other hand. Comment-section-commenters, today is your day.
Quick rules:
First, every player must be traded. That means the Hypothetical 76ers are looking for the best possible trade another team would accept, not the worst possible trade the Hypothetical 76ers would accept.
For example, even if the hypothetical 76ers believed Raul Neto was the third-best player in the NBA and the rest of the NBA thought he was the third-worst, his potential trade wouldn’t be Kawhi Leonard, it would be Bryn Forbes.
Second, all trades have to be primarily concerned with the player being traded. While draft comp is sometimes needed to make a trade viable, it won’t be the main thrust of the trade.
For example, Malik Beasley for Kyle O’Quinn and two-premium 2nd rounders would not be an insane trade to actually happen, but in that trade O’Quinn is just salary matching, so you won’t see it below.
Third, all trades primarily consider basketball fit as opposed to financial implications like the luxury tax scale and nearing the tax apron. Most of the trades made before Thursday are for financial reasons, these fake trades these are (mostly) not.
Finally, full-roster players only. If you want to find equal value for Emir Preldzic or the most favorable of Atlanta, Charlotte, or Brookyln’s 2023 second round pick, you’re on your own.
Now, where did we leave the RDS-202?
The case for trading Jonah Bolden:
Here is a fun but true fact: When you get a kidney transplant, they usually put the third kidney in your pelvis and just leave the original kidneys in your body, a useless remnant. Anyway, former-future-backup center Jonah Bolden is still on the 76ers, and he needs minutes to development. Solidly behind All NBA center Joel Hans Embiid and newcomers like $109,000,000 man Alfred Joel Horford Reynoso, Giant Human Being Norvelle Pelle Jr. and Kyle Brandon O’Quinn, he won’t be able to find those minutes in Philadelphia. It’s time to move on.
Potential trade:
From ATL to PHL: DeAndre’ Bembry
Why it makes sense for the 76ers: Jonah Bolden is not in the 76ers’ short-or long-term plans. Bembry could plausibly play in the playoffs. The former St. Joe’s swingman is a bad offensive player, but has good hands, a strong frame, and great anticipation – never in his career has he fallen below the 87th percentile in steal percentage. On a team that supposedly defines itself through defense, he should fit in right now.
Besides, if DeAndre’ is as valuable as ESPN’s trade machine apparently believes him to be, this is the steal of the century.
Why it makes sense for the Hawks: The Hawks are desperate for big men and terrible at basketball, which makes them the perfect place for Bolden to see if he can develop into a serviceable backup big. If he does, his cheap contract and plus athleticism could make him a plus asset for the next two years. The fact his contract is ~$1M less than Bembry’s expiring probably doesn’t hurt either.
The case for trading Kyle O’Quinn:
Whatever theoretical value O’Quinn has, it’s clear it’s not going to be realized in Philadelphia. He’s fallen out of Brett Brown’s rotation almost entirely, and it’s not without reason – him and Embiid make no sense together and lineups with him and Simmons have been outscored by ~20 points per 100 possessions.
With Pelle looking like he’s able to play the occasional spot-minute and Simmons able to masquerade as a 5 in the occasional small-ball lineup, O’Quinn no longer has any on-court value in Philadelphia.
Potential trade:
From HOU to PHL: Thabo Sefolosha
Why it makes sense for the 76ers:
Taking an unproductive wing off of the Rockets scrap heap worked for the 76ers last year, why not try it again? Sefolosha’s best days are behind him, but on a team that have given starts to unproven kids like Furkan and Shake, being able to throw a veteran who isn’t going to miss rotations out there for 10 minutes a game is the type of low-risk move that helps at the margins.
Why it makes sense for the Rockets:
The Rockets, currently playing the smallest lineups the NBA has seen since Si Green was running the show for the Chicago Zephyrs, could use some size. O’Quinn’s game has holes, but at 6-foot-10 and 250 pounds, he has size, and his excellent passing has made stat nerds upset at his minutes for years.
The case for trading Trey Burke:
Despite the 76ers desperate needing on-ball playmaking, supposed on-ball playmaker Burke has played 55 seconds in the 76ers’ last 8 games. If his roster spot can be turned into something, the 76ers should do it.
Potential trade:
From PHL to DET: Trey Burke, 2020 76ers second rounder
From DET to PHL: Svi Mykhailiuk
Why it makes sense for the 76ers:
Svi is a low-cost bomber, something Brett Brown and the 76ers have done wonders with before. Their own 2nd is a better asset today than it was a week ago, but still have more seconds than they’re going to use, and Burke clearly isn’t in the plans.
Why it makes sense for Detroit: The fact Pistons are 28th in home attendance and Burke is a University of Michigan legend doesn’t hurt, but the main reason this works is that Pistons are in asset-collection mode and taking a flier on the former lottery pick while adding a second rounder is a plus trade in the proverbial vacuum.
The case for trading Shake Milton:
You know the best possible time to trade a late second rounder with a career BPM of -2.9? Right after he goes off for 27, 5, and 6 against the single worst defender in the NBA and two dudes who used to play in the Friends League.
Shake’s upside is a role player on a great contract, but neither the player nor the contract is going to help the 76ers in the playoffs. Today, unlike a week ago, the guy they get for him might.
Potential trade:
From PHL to GSW: Shake, their own 2020 2nd
Why it makes sense for the 76ers:
Philadelphia only gets 29 points and 5.7 assists per game from the bench, (third-fewest in both categories), and Burks would help with both. He may not be a difference maker in the playoffs, but a team that could easily finish anywhere from 2nd to 6th in the East and apparently needs home court to win anything can’t afford to ignore everything before June.
Why it makes sense for GSW:
Golden State is about to get extremely expensive and having role players on cheap contracts has extra value to them. Burks, who isn’t in their long-term plans, is a small price to pay for three years of roster stability at a minimum salary.
The case for trading James Ennis
Ennis continues to do the dirty work – his offensive rebounding rate is the best of any wing in the league and better than bigs like Anthony Davis and Al Horford – but he has fallen behind Shake, Korkmaz, and Thybulle in the rotation and played just four minutes against the Celtics. The 76ers have more glaring needs.
Potential trade:
Why it makes sense for the 76ers: Ennis has a full no-trade clause which means destinations-only for Ennis trades, but the Lakers are a destination and Dudley might give the 76ers the shooting they thought they were getting in Mike Scott.
Why it makes sense for the Lakers: Ennis thrives when he’s doing the little things, and Lebron and AD can handle the heavy lifting.
The case for trading Raul Neto:
It is widely acknowledged the 76ers need to upgrade their backup PG spot. If this acknowledgement is correct than Neto, currently occupying their backup PG spot, needs to be upgraded. Not all of this has to be designing the Falcon 9.
Potential trade:
From MIN to PHL: Shabazz Napier
Why it makes sense for the 76ers:
When the 76ers added Neto and Burke this offseason the thought (captured well here by Mike O’Connor) was basically that they would give the home team two different styles – Burke would play when the 76ers wanted on-ball creation, and Neto would play next to the 76ers existing playmakers. Thus far, it hasn’t played out that way – Brown is settling into Neto over Burke in all situations. If you’re a Trey Burke truther that must be infuriating, but more likely than not Neto has just been better in practice and the coaching staff can’t justify playing the worse over the better one. Unfortunately, this team still needs Burke’s skill-set more. This trade gives the 76ers that playmaking skill set in player that has had a little more NBA success than Burke.
Why it makes sense for the Wolves:
As a shoot-first player, Napier’s ball-domination takes possessions away from development guys Neto wouldn’t.
The case for trading Zhaire Smith:
Recently, people worth reading have argued against trading Zhaire. These arguments are, essentially, he still has all of the upside he had in June of 2018, he just hasn’t been able to show it, mostly due to factors outside of his control. This is true, but ignores two factors:
First, those developmental minutes are going to be hard to come by on a team with championship aspirations. Even the staunchest Zhaire defenders will acknowledge he’s raw, and in a season where seeding matters, giving minutes to a player who is currently hurting them on the court might just not be tenable – especially for a coaching staff who can’t help but look over their shoulders. Just because Zhaire might be able to develop into a productive NBA player does not mean he will be able to develop in Philly.
Second, as 76ers fans certainly don’t have be told, not every draft pick who fails to thrive in their first year gains value as they play. If Smith continues to struggle in Delaware – and make no mistake, the current run with the 76ers is trade audition, not a permanent move away from DE – his theoretical upside might go away quick.
Potential trade:
From PHL to DEN: Furkan Korkmaz, Zhaire Smith
From DEN to PHL: Malik Beasley
Why it makes sense for the 76ers:
Over his career, Beasley has shot 9.8 3s per 100 possessions and connected on 38% of them. His TS% is just under 51% this year, but was 59.9% last year in many more minutes. His ability to shoot well and create some would fill immediate needs, and his talent is worth investing in over the medium-term.
Why it makes sense for Denver:
Last summer Beasley turned down a three-year, $30 million extension offer with the hope of receiving more this offseason. His minutes and stats are down, so it doesn’t look like that is going to happen in Denver. This trade gives them Korkmaz, who can replace some of his in-season production on a super cheap deal, and a developmental guy they were high on pre-draft in Zhaire.
The case for trading Furkan Korkmaz:
On one hand, Furkan, the only real shooter on a 76ers team that needs shooters, is not an obvious candidate for a trade. On the other, the 76ers used to pride themselves on having the longest view in the room and getting blinded by half a season of hot shooting that still hasn’t kept his OBPM or VORP above zero does not feel like foresight. Put it this way: the first 50 games Furkan Korkmaz’s season could just as easily be a Bolden-like mirage as it could be a harbinger of a fully-grown bomber.
Combine that with his slight frame and lack of lateral quickness, and the 76ers might currently be trusting a guy who is one two-week cold streak away from complete uselessness with a playoff role. It isn’t crazy to think his spot could be upgraded.
Potential trade:
From PHL to DEN: Furkan Korkmaz, Zhaire Smith
From DEN to PHL: Malik Beasley
Why it makes sense for the 76ers:
See above.
Why it makes sense for Denver:
See above.
The case for trading Mike Scott:
In theory, Mike Scott – a fearless and heavily tattooed stretch-4 who can competently defend his position and consistently does hilarious things – is awesome. In practice, Scott has struggled on both ends of the court and lacked consistency from a role – the first big off the bench – the 76ers really need an even keel. That plus his extremely tradable contract means he’s probably not going to be in Philly come spring.
Potential trade:
From PHL to SAC: Mike Scott, Atlanta’s 2020 second rounder
From SAC to PHL: Nemanja Bjelica
Why it makes sense for the 76ers:
I know this exercise is supposed to more about the player than the draft pick, but this one makes too much sense. A trade here gets the 76ers get the man they have been after since they believed they had a verbal agreement in the summer of 2018, and their first true 30-foot shot-maker since Dana Barros.
Why it makes sense for SAC:
Adding a premium second rounder for a rental is obviously the difference maker, but don’t discount Scott – Sacramento is about to get expensive, and Scott is fairly paid this year and next.
The case for trading Matisse Thybulle:
Mattisse Thybulle, who as a 22 year-old senior at Washington averaged 9 points per game and shot 41.5% from the field and then saw both of those numbers drop in the pros, is widely considered untouchable by the 76ers’ fanbase. That’s insane. Thybulle is fully formed as a very good but totally one-sided role player. That role – elite defense – is one the 76ers have in spades (at least theoretically), and if the league wants to consider him a game-changer after 50 games, it’s time to strike.
Potential trade:
From PHL to LAC: Matisse Thybulle
From LAC to PHL: Landry Shamet
Why it makes sense for the 76ers:
To make this a realistic EB trade we’d have to throw in several more assets on the 76ers’ side, but from a neutral perspective this makes some sense. The 76ers need shot-making and ballhandling. Shamet, who knows the 76ers system, provides both. He can step directly into JJ’s playbook and start giving the 76ers’ offense the space they have been craving.
Why it makes sense for LAC:
Kawhi, PG, Pat Bev, and Thybulle out there together is terrifying.
The case for trading Josh Richardson:
Richardson, pretty good at everything on a team-friendly deal, is a player every NBA team would want. If any of those teams have a player who fits better with Simmons and Embiid, the 76ers should kick the tires.
It isn’t being talked about a lot, but Richardson’s shooting is one reason for the 76ers offensive struggles. He’s talented enough to score with decent efficiency even despite poor decision-making, but he is taking about 45% of his shots from mid-range, and while no one should be worried about a slight dip in his 3PT% - 33%, down from 36% last year and for his career – the fact he’s shooting fewer 3s on this team is bad. If the 76ers can turn him into another value player who fits better, they should.
Potential trade:
The most common trade you’d expect to see here would probably be straight-up for Bogdan, but that causes more problems than it solves. Instead, how about:
From PHL to NJN: Josh Richardson
From NJN to PHL: Spencer Dinwiddie
NB: SixersAdam came up with this exact trade on the last Ricky, further proof that great minds think alike to the mind of Philadelphia 76ers Adam.
Why it makes sense for the 76ers: The 76ers need shooting and shot-creation and Dinwiddie has both. Plus his ~75 career point per game average against the 76ers means it would be an easy sell for the fans.
Why it makes sense for the Nets: Not only is Richardson the better defender, shooter, and more efficient scorer, but he’s a better fit. The Nets have committed to building around Durant and Kyrie, and Richardson’s do-everything offense and plus defense is a cleaner fit than Dinwiddie’s lead guard skillset.
The case for trading Tobias Harris:
Tobias Harris is playing out of position on a contract that either misread his value or assumes considerable growth in his age-27 season through his age-31 seasons. It would take considerable clarity of vision for the 76ers to ignore the cost that went into acquiring and retaining him, but if they could turn him into positive value, they should.
Potential trade:
From PHL to OKC: Tobias Harris
Why it makes sense for the 76ers:
Paul is much better than Harris, directly addresses the 76ers biggest needs, and is a better defender, both in a vacuum and against primary ballhandlers. If the 76ers’ priority is winning a championship this year, this trade gets them a lot closer.
It also helps unlock Embiid for many obvious reasons and Simmons, who the 76ers have begun using more as a roller in the halfcourt. Simmons has been awesome in that role with Richardson, Neto, and Shake, so imagine what it could look like with one of the best PGs of all time.
Why it makes sense for the Thunder:
Depending on your Wiggins mileage, coming into the year Chris Paul’s four-year $159.7M deal was considered either the second- or third-worst contract in the league. He has been great, but he’s 7 years older than Harris, has a history of grating on teammates, and that contract is still in place. Harris fits cleaner into the Thunder timeline and projects to be easier piece to move as the world turns.
The case for trading Al Horford:
To date, Embiid and Horford have not complemented each other at all. Both of their stats are down when they play together, and while it is certainly nice that the 76ers are finally an above-average team when Embiid sits, 28 million is a lot of millions for a plus backup center / negative starting PF. Turning him into a player(s) who fit(s) better isn’t an admission the team doesn’t appreciate Horford, it is just an acknowledgement that sometimes if you truly love someone, you have to set them free.
Also he’s a negative asset and the sooner the 76ers realize it the better for everyone.
Potential trade:
From PHL to NOLA: Al Horford, Jonah Bolden
To NOLA from PHL: E’Twaun Moore, Josh Hart, Derrick Favors
Why it makes sense for the 76ers:
They turn Horford into Favors - an actual backup center - and two rotation wings. Hart, a Nova product, returns home, and Moore adds shooting to the backcourt.
Why it makes sense for Pels:
With Zion back on the court, David Griffin’s job is to make sure he’s in the best position to succeed. Horford, who was played well when away from Embiid, can space the court, play D, and provide steady leadership to a young team. Not only does he clarify the team in the long term, he’s also way more talented than the guys they’re shipping out – and NOLA has ready-made replacements in Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Jaxson Hayes – so they would suddenly be set up for a playoff challenge in the short term and not compromised in the long-term.
The case for trading Ben Simmons:
As Bill Simmons might ask, are we sure Ben Simmons, a 23-year-old who has been selected to multiple All Star games and averages stats only Michael and Magic ever have before, is good?
The answer, of course, is yes, we are sure. Still, the boomers don’t think so. They hate Ben because he doesn’t shoot, therefore he “can’t win.” That obviously isn’t wholly true, but his refusal to shoot does put a strain on the rest of the team.
What is more confusing is that the nerds don’t really think he’s great either. At the beginning of the year, 538 wrote about Simmons:
More than perhaps any other current player, Simmons might be the poster child for somebody whose advanced metrics look worse and worse as you add more and more factors from player tracking and play-by-play data.
That article didn’t track at all with my priors on Ben, so I tried to dig a little deeper. Here is an incomplete list of big-name guys 538's new rating system seems to think are overrated:
Westbrook
DeAndre Jordan
Deandre Ayton
Zach LaVine
Julius Randle
Ben Simmons
An evidence-based list of a bunch of players I think are overrated and one dude I'm emotionally invested in being very good? Cool. Very cool.
Despite all of this, most of the NBA world considers Simmons a world-beating talent who might be able to be the best guy on a championship team, and no one outside of Dietrick truly believes Simmons is the perfect fit next to Embiid. If the hypothetical 76ers don’t think Simmons is the guy to lead them, they can use him to remake the entire team in one trade.
Potential trade:
If this was a ranking of 76ers players least like to be traded by Thursday, Simmons would be first. He has a poison pill contract, which means for trade purposes his $8.1M salary for 2019-20 would be used as outgoing salary and $29.6M (the average over 6 years) would count as incoming for the acquiring team. That means basically any trade involving Simmons would almost certainly have to wait until the offseason. If it has to be now, the options are extremely limited, and probably have to involve the Hawks as a third team. That said, I think I found one that works:
From PHL: Ben Simmons, Mike Scott, Jonah Bolden, Kyle O’Quinn
To PHL: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Dennis Schröder
From OKC: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Dennis Schröder
To OKC: Ben Simmons, Mike Scott, Jonah Bolden, Kyle O’Quinn
NB: This trade does not work on ESPN’s trade machine. I’m not positive why, but if it because tradenba.com is allowing trade exceptions to be aggregated with contracts (which the NBA does not, in fact, allow), this variation works and doesn’t change the calculus on the 76ers end. If neither works HERE is entirely different trade that ships out Simmons and adds a wing depth, but leaves a sizable hole at the 1.
Why it makes sense for the 76ers:
Everyone keeps trying to get Chris Paul on the 76ers, but his understudies may make more sense. This trade adds multiple ball-handlers who can score on multiple levels. It leaves the 76ers deeper, quicker, and with fewer weaknesses.
Why it makes sense for Thunder:
Simmons may be tough to build around, but with their treasure trove of picks and roster full of versatile pieces the Thunder are uniquely suited to build whatever team they want, and this gives them the player to start with.
The case for trading Joel Embiid:
The case for trading Embiid is threefold: Health, Fit, and Timing.
As always with Embiid, health comes first. Joel Embiid, supposedly past his health woes, has missed a third of the games this season, has missed time in every playoffs he’s been a part of, and, by his own admission, did “nothing different” to get in shape over the offseason. It is likely he does not age well.
If those long-term concerns about Embiid are valid, the short-term has to be solid. It isn’t. Right now the 76ers aren’t built to maximize Embiid’s talents. Their star point guard needs him out of the paint, where he’s been unhappy and ineffective, and when Joel plays next to Horford both of their stats suffer. In an ideal world, Embiid needs spacing and deliberate offensive players who thrive at his pace. Right now, he has neither.
Would trading Embiid be a drastic step? Yes, of course. Sometimes drastic action is pragmatic.
Potential trade:
From PHL: Joel Embiid, Jonah Bolden
To PHL: Draymond Green, Robert Covington, GSW’s 2020 first rounder (if it lands 1-20, which it will)
From GSW: Draymond Green, D’Angelo Russell, their own #1 pick this year
Why it makes sense for the 76ers:
Finding a fit for Embiid is hard and this one isn’t perfect – Golden State would be throwing away a year of his prime and the premium draft pick championship-or-bust 76ers add would require a second trade if it is going to help them this year – but this trade would immediately make the 76ers more switchable, deeper, and more comfortable at pace, all while landing them what is currently projected to be the #1 overall pick in the upcoming draft.
Why it makes sense for Golden State
Golden State has been rumored to be after basically every big-name star in the league, and few names are bigger than Embiid. Losing Green, Russell, and a top-draft pick, and taking on Dieng will hurt, but Steph, Embiid, and Klay is a core that immediately puts the Warriors back at the top of the championship discussion next year and beyond.
Why it makes sense for Minnesota:
Minnesota hunted Russell all offseason and will be thrilled to get off Dieng. Gerssson Rosas and the Wolves are in the building block stage part of the rebuild, and if they believe in Russell as much as they appear to, this trade would give a foundation to grow on that is locked in for the long-term.