Assessing the Trade Value of Each Sixers Player

With just days until the trade deadline, MOC sizes up the individual Sixers' market value.

The trade deadline is just a few days away, and it’s still unclear whether the Sixers will operate as buyers or sellers – or, if they will be some mix of both, like they were at last year’s trade deadline.

Regardless of what happens, I figured it would be a fun thought experiment to analyze what exactly each player’s trade value would be. Even if the Sixers operate as buyers, some of these players will have to be sent out in trades, so it will be helpful to have some basis of what other teams might perceive their value to be at this exact moment.

Let’s begin.

Joel Embiid: N/A – cannot be traded this season

Embiid cannot be traded this year due to the fact that he signed a contract extension last summer, and assessing his trade value at this exact moment is almost impossible, anyway. Of course, his trade value could swing wildly depending on what happens in the second half of this season. If his year continues along this trajectory – unable to stay on the court for more than a few games in a row due to knee issues – his trade value will be very much negative heading into this summer. If he plays 60-70 percent of the games and looks to mostly be himself, I’d wager that his value would be back in the slightly positive range.

Paul George: 1 mid-first round pick and 1 pick swap

Anyone who says PG is some sort of albatross is either not watching the games or has a flawed view of where the trade market is actually at these days.

Is he overpaid? Absolutely. Past his prime? Yep. Is he still a massive net positive every time he’s on the basketball court? Yes, and those types of players don’t ever require a salary dump.

Jimmy Butler – same age, similar contract situation, better player, but a difficult fit on many rosters and way more of an asshole – is about to be traded for neutral or slightly positive return. If Butler isn’t an albatross, neither is George.

PG is still an excellent defender who fits on every team and can play on or off the ball offensively. Shams reported recently that the Warriors reached out to the Sixers to inquire about him. Do you think that Golden State wouldn’t trade salary filler, a first, and a swap for him?

Even if it’s not the Warriors – the Grizzlies wouldn’t trade filler and a couple late firsts? The Bucks wouldn’t give Khris Middleton and a draft asset or two for PG? I would bet any amount of money that some team, somewhere would give up assets to get Paul George right now, even if it’s not a massive return.

Tyrese Maxey: 3-4 quality first round picks or 5+ mediocre first round picks

Part of the difficulty with trading an ascending, in-his-prime star like Maxey is that, by nature of acquiring him, the other team’s future firsts immediately become less valuable. Especially if Maxey were traded to a team like the Magic, who would figure to be a perennial contending team with him on board, those picks would all be likely to end up in the 20s. Thus, a deal with that type of team should be for five first rounders and change.

If it’s with a team like Brooklyn or Portland, who is just looking to acquire a franchise cornerstone in an effort to climb their way out of a rebuild, then 3-4 unprotected picks, plus a second rounder or two, should be enough.

To be clear, I don’t think Maxey gets traded any time soon, this is only for the sake of the thought experiment.

Caleb Martin: 1 late first rounder or 3 quality second rounders

Despite an injury plagued season, Martin is talented and established enough to warrant positive trade value, especially on that contract.

It’s a bit tough to find a direct comparison for Martin’s trade value, but I think the fact that Quentin Grimes and Dorian Finney-Smith were both traded for three second round picks within the last year is a good indication that his value is within that range.

Kelly Oubre: 2-3 quality second round picks

Oubre’s value is in a similar range to Martin’s, but the fact that he’s on an expiring deal cheapens his value a bit. He’s also in the midst of a career-worst shooting season – just 28 percent from deep. Many contending teams would surely still be happy to have him, but teams with shaky shooting might be wary of how he fits on their rosters.

Still, the fact that Oubre has any positive value to any good team on an expiring deal is a testament to how far his reputation has come over the past couple years.

K.J. Martin: 2 mid-late second round picks

Martin is on a cheap, reasonable contract and has proven himself able to contribute to a winning team. A contender in need of some athleticism on the wing should be willing to give up a couple second rounders in order to bring back K.J.

Andre Drummond: none (pure salary filler)

Drummond has been absolutely horrendous this year. There might be some team out there willing to give up one second round pick, but the fact that he has a $5 million player option for next season gives me pause. He appears to be in real decline, and in the era of the new CBA, even a $5 million contract for an unplayable player can be seen as limiting for many teams.

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Jared McCain: 3 first round picks or the centerpiece of a trade for a star

Jared McCain has enormous value both in the short and long term, especially considering the fact that he will be on a rookie contract for three more seasons. If for whatever reason the Sixers decided to trade him for draft capital, I’d expect three first round picks in return. If they decided to move him in a win-now trade, he could be the centerpiece of a deal for an All-Star level player.

Eric Gordon: 1 early second round pick or 2 mid-late second rounders

Gordon’s recent surge has likely gotten his trade value back into positive range; tons of teams could still use a guard off the bench who reliably knocks down 30-footers and can still attack a close-out off the dribble.

If I’m the Sixers, I’d be looking to get a top-40 second round pick, or a pair of late second rounders from a contender.

Reggie Jackson and Kyle Lowry: none (pure salary filler)

No need for an explanation here.

Guerschon Yabusele: 1 mid-late first round pick or 4 second round picks

I’d consider Yabusele’s value to be this high for two reasons: 1) he is that good, and 2) in the era of the new CBA, contending teams that are above the first apron will have an exceedingly hard time trading for anyone making an expensive salary. So, the opportunity to trade for an impact player without having to perform a bunch of cap maneuvering should be enticing.

The Sixers cannot reacquire their first round pick from the Thunder for this year, but perhaps OKC would consider trading one of their other 2025 firsts for Yabusele – they also have picks coming to them from the Heat and Clippers, currently slated at 17 and 21, respectively.

Perhaps the Rockets, who own Phoenix’s pick (currently 18th), would be willing to part ways with it for Yabu, especially if Phoenix makes win-now moves at the deadline.

Alternatively, if any contending team wants to send back a bushel of second rounders for Yabu, that would be fair value to me, as well.

Ricky Council IV: 1 late second round pick

Council has had an up and down season, but some team out there would likely be willing to take a chance on him if they have a need at that position. A second round pick in the 50s seems like fair value.

Adem Bona: 1-2 second round picks

Bona was the 42nd pick in the draft last June, and he has exceeded expectations, albeit not by miles. I don’t know why the Sixers would trade him, but if they did, I’d have to expect that they could at least be reimbursed with a pick in the range that Bona was drafted, or perhaps multiple picks later on in the second round.

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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.