One Fake Sixers Trade-Back Proposal for Every Team Lower in the Lottery

MOC looks at what additional goodies the Sixers could get for swapping their No. 3 pick for No. 4, or No. 5, or No. 6, or....

From the moment the Sixers landed the third overall pick in the NBA draft lottery – heck, even before they landed the third pick – one of the most commonly discussed possibilities among Sixers fans has been the idea of trading down. There’s wide disagreement over whether players like Ace Bailey and V.J. Edgecombe are truly deserving of being the third pick in the draft, and among those fans who are less high on those two prospects, there seems to be a lot of interest in trading back in the lottery. So, I figured it might be a good exercise to go construct a hypothetical trade back with every single lottery team picking behind the Sixers (4-14).

It is worth pointing out that trading out of a top-3 pick is relatively rare, so the level of value I’m assigning to it here is naturally going to be pretty subjective. The last time a team traded the third pick was 2018, when the Hawks traded the rights to Luka Doncic for the 5th pick (Trae Young), as well as an unprotected first the following year. So, given that moving back from three to five seems to be worth an unprotected future first round pick, I’ll try to base my work around that.

Trading back to No. 4

Trading back just one spot seems relatively unlikely; the only way it would make sense is if the Sixers consider two or more prospects to be roughly on the same tier and are content to draft any one of them, and the Hornets are completely enamored with one of those players. Anyway, here’s a package that makes sense.

Charlotte gets: No. 3 overall pick

Sixers get: No. 4 overall pick, Charlotte’s 2029 first round pick (top-6 protected)

In this scenario, Charlotte could come out of this draft with someone they presumably deem a franchise-altering prospect, while only costing them a pick that’s four years down the road and has a top-5 protection. From the Sixers’ perspective, they presumably draft the player they would have taken third anyway, while also getting a future first that is highly unlikely to be very late in the round, given the Hornets’ perennial incompetence.

Trading back to No. 5

Jazz get: No. 3 overall pick

Sixers get: No. 5 overall pick, Utah’s 2027 unprotected first round pick

Again – just basing this off the fact that this is almost exactly the package that was traded between Dallas and Atlanta the last time the third and fifth overall picks were traded for one another. If anything, this price is a bit less than the Luka trade, given that I’m including Utah’s first round pick from two years out rather than next year.

Trading back to No. 6

Wizards get: No. 3 overall pick

Sixers get: No. 6 overall pick, No. 18 overall pick, Wizards’ 2027 second round pick

Again, we’re still in the range where the price the Sixers should be looking for is approximately one future first round pick. The fact that the Sixers would only be getting the 18th overall pick might be underwhelming to some, but the immediacy of it given that it’s this year’s draft adds some value, as does the addition of Washington’s 2027 second round pick. Trading out of the third pick and getting, say, Kon Knueppel, Thomas Sorber, and a future second, would be a very good outcome for the Sixers.

Trading back to No. 7

Now, we start to enter the range where teams have some useful talent that could help the Sixers win now. Here’s probably my favorite trade back out of all of these.

Pelicans get: No. 3 overall pick, Kelly Oubre

Sixers get: No. 7 overall pick, Herb Jones

With the Pels in purgatory and a Zion trade potentially incoming, they have little use for Herb Jones. Trading him in order to land a potential franchise cornerstone as they start what might end up being a short rebuild makes a lot of sense.

On the open market, I’d say Herb is probably worth two first round picks. Given that trading back from 3-7 is likely worth more than just one first rounder, and that Oubre has some value as a useful player on an expiring contract, I’d consider this to be a pretty fair trade.

Give me one of Derik Queen or Knueppel with that seventh pick, then re-sign Grimes and Yabusele, and the Sixers can basically call it an off-season.

Trading back to No. 8

Sixers get: Cameron Johnson, No. 8 overall pick

Nets get: Kelly Oubre, Andre Drummond, Eric Gordon, No. 3 overall pick, No. 35 overall pick

Constructing a deal with the Nets is a bit complicated. Cameron Johnson is a very good player, and is likely worth more than just the ability to jump five spots in the draft. And for a team that may potentially get the Sixers’ 2027 first round pick (top-8 protected), they may have conflicted feelings on giving the Sixers a piece that helps them win-now.

Still, in a vacuum, I think this deal is pretty fair, and helps both sides get something they want. The Nets get a top-3 pick in the draft to help anchor their franchise for years to come, as well as an early second rounder. The Sixers get a mid-lottery pick in addition to a very good player who fills a massive need both in terms of position and skill set.

The Cases For and Against the Sixers Drafting Ace Bailey

Trading back to No. 9

Raptors get: No. 3 overall pick

Sixers get: No. 9 overall pick, No. 39 overall pick, Raptors’ unprotected 2026 first round pick, rights to swap first round picks in 2030

I have absolutely no idea what the Raptors are doing at any given time. I have no idea why they would want to trade up and sacrifice next year’s pick, nor do I know who they would want at No. 3. But from a sheer value perspective, this is in the right ballpark for what the Sixers should be looking for.

Trading back to No. 10

Rockets get: No. 3 overall pick

Sixers get: No. 10 overall pick, Tari Eason, 2028 second round pick

This type of deal likely only makes sense as either a precursor or as a direct part of a Giannis trade that involves the third pick being re-routed to Milwaukee. I doubt Houston is dying to pay a premium to move up in this draft given that they’re in win-now mode.

From the Sixers’ perspective, getting Tari Eason solves tons of problems. He fills their gaping hole at power forward, and gives them the exact type of skill set they’re missing – defensive versatility, athleticism, physicality, rebounding, etc. What’s more, he’s only 23, and he will be a restricted free agent after next season. The Sixers can retain him for as long as Josh Harris is willing to pay the price.

As good as he is, just getting him for the cost of moving back seven slots is a bit light, so I threw in a second-round pick as well.

Trading back to No. 11

Blazers get: No. 3 overall pick

Sixers get: No. 11 overall pick, Toumani Camara, 2028 second round pick

If you think this trade is a light haul for the Sixers, you simply haven’t watched enough Toumani Camara. He just made second team All-Defense at 25 years old, and he’s surprisingly competent on offense, having shot 38 percent from deep on 4.6 attempts per game. He fills exactly what the Sixers need in their front court, and he’s on an incredibly cheap contract for two more seasons. As long as the Sixers aren’t enamored with someone that they could take with the third pick, this is absolutely a deal they should consider if available.

Trading back to No. 12

Bulls get: No. 3 overall pick

Sixers get: No. 12 overall pick, 2026 top-3 protected first round pick, rights to swap first round picks in 2028, rights to swap first round picks in 2030

Betting against the Bulls is generally never a bad idea. If whoever they select at No. 3 turns out to be a bust, this trade has the potential to be a homerun. They’re extremely likely to be very mediocre again next season, as well as in 2028, as well as in 2038. This trade could very well net the Sixers two top-10 picks. Again, though – they should only do it if they’re extremely content with someone they expect to be there at No. 12.

Trading back to No. 13

Sixers get: Jalen Johnson, Terance Mann, No. 13 overall pick

Hawks get: Paul George, No. 3 overall pick

The primary appeal of this for the Sixers would be that it resets and reorients their timeline. They could focus on building around Johnson, Maxey, McCain, Grimes, and the No. 13 overall pick, and anything they get from Joel Embiid from here on out is just gravy.

From the Hawks perspective, this trade really only makes sense if they have some sort of outlier opinion on Bailey or Edgecombe; trading Johnson and taking on George would be a little ridiculous otherwise. But if that is the case, they would have to come out of this deal feeling pretty good about both their present and future. The ability to win now with a core of George, Trae Young, Zaccharie Risacher, Dyson Daniels, and Oneyeka Okongwu, while also adding another potential star in the form of the No. 3 pick, is not a bad place to be in as a franchise.

Trading back to No. 14

Spurs get: No. 3 overall pick

Sixers get: No. 14 overall pick, Jeremy Sochan, 2027 first round pick via Atlanta

Admittedly, it’s a little impossible to construct a trade here. The odds that the Spurs would feel the need to have BOTH the second and third pick in this draft is a little ridiculous. I suppose the appeal here would be that they could go into next season feeling very comfortable about their cap situation moving forward, given that they’d have two franchise cornerstones on rookie contracts, and would not have to worry about paying Sochan after the season.

From the Sixers’ perspective, I don’t love this deal — even if Sochan makes some sense here. But for the sake of this thought exercise, it’s the best deal I could construct with San Antonio.

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Mike O’Connor is the best O’Connor in basketball writing. Previously of The Athletic, you can find Mike on Twitter @MOConnor_NBA. Mike’s writing is brought to you by Body Bio, supplements based on science, focusing on your gut and brain health.