The Philadelphia 76ers have a golden opportunity to put a strong supporting cast around Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. As much as they could use a third star, they’re also going to need surefire depth in their future quests for a championship.
The Sixers can open up $52 million in cap space by renouncing all of their cap holds aside from Maxey's. The obvious benefit is having plenty of room to sign a big free agent — which seems to be their first plan — but it also makes it possible to use those picks for other trades.
It will be tough to find players on contracts that can fit alongside a player who takes up a big chunk of that open cap space. But it will be impossible without the picks to acquire such players.
Of course, it's possible that the Sixers are not able to land a max-contract free agent like Paul George or LeBron James. Trading for one, like Jimmy Butler, means that Philly is sinking all its future cap flexibility and draft picks into one player. If they strike out in free agency, using the picks to build a more well-rounded infrastructure around Embiid and Maxey is the best path forward.
The 76ers can add a solid starter or high-end bench player via trade, though they may only have the capability to acquire two of the following five names at most. But each of them could play a big role in helping the Sixers compete at a higher level.
Alex Caruso
Sooner or later, the Chicago Bulls will have to face reality and start trading away at least some of its core players who have trade value. The Sixers are sure to be one of the many suitors for Caruso, and for good reason. Even though his contract is about to expire, he's one of the most highly desired players that could feasibly hit the trade market.
Caruso's defense is special. He can do just about everything a team could want from a guard on defense. His rate of blocked shots matches up favorably with centers and his rates of steals and deflections are routinely atop the league. His ability to navigate around screens is matched by few, if at all. His defense on the ball and in space is great, too.
For as great as Caruso's defense is, his complementary skills on offense make him even more dreamy as a backcourt partner for Maxey. His connective playmaking would be a huge benefit for the Sixers' two stars. After being a weirdly passive shooter a few years ago, he notched career-highs in three-pointers made and attempted last season while shooting 40.8 percent from downtown.
Embiid has been good enough to make the Sixers a strong defensive team throughout the regular season and in a playoff series. Imagine having Caruso take advantage of Embiid's rim protection and create more transition opportunities for Maxey. Whether Philly can win (or simply wants to get into) a bidding war for the Bald Mamba remains to be seen. If they do, it’s easy to see why.
Cam Johnson
While the Brooklyn Nets have shown no interest in trading Bridges, they might be open to moving Johnson, who doesn’t have the potential to be a special perimeter defender but provides a 3-and-D skill set for a cheaper cost and a slightly bigger frame. If the Sixers don’t land a star in free agency or trades, they could use some of that cap space and draft capital to bring in Johnson.
Johnson is a great shooter, efficient from the corners and above the break while letting it fly on high volume. Even being on the middling Nets teams of the past few seasons didn’t sink his percentages. He's gotten better over time at reading the floor and setting up his teammates for passes, posting a career-best 2.4 assists per game while barely increasing his frequency of turnovers. That improvement partnered with his size and mobility makes him a strong option for dribble handoffs.
The lack of scoring at the hoop from Johnson is a result of taking so many shots from deep. But over his career, he has converted his handful of shots from the free-throw line (83.0 percent) and within three feet of the rim (72.7 percent) at efficient rates. Having two star scorers next to him can help unlock him as a cutter. A wing at his size who can throw down a nice dunk and will already pull defenses out to the arc because of the threat of his shot makes for a steller off-ball threat.
Defensively, Johnson has plenty of work to do. His rebounding is okay for his position. But he has the frame to be a multi-positional defender that Nick Nurse can mold into a capable team defender. Whatever upside he offers as a legitimately strong defender is a bonus on top of his value on offense.
Dorian Finney-Smith
Finney-Smith is another Nets forward who should generate plenty of trade interest. Like Johnson, he slides in nicely as a 3-and-D option. But he has his own quirks to his game and is on a contract cheaper than his teammate’s, affording the Sixers some extra wiggle room this offseason (though it has two fewer guaranteed years).
DFS would give the Sixers the size and physicality they need at the four next to Embiid. He could take on the toughest forward assignment on defense night in and night out. At 6-foot-7 with a 6-foot-11 wingspan, he's a versatile defender who always fights to stick with the play and can disrupt shots.
One major question with Finney-Smith is whether his shooting from deep will come back around. He was a 40-percent sniper next to Luka Doncic but wasn’t nearly as efficient with the creator-starved Nets. With Embiid and Maxey commanding so much attention, the Sixers seem like a situation that could help Finney-Smith get his percentages back up. He shoots from all over the arc and has also been a solid offensive rebounder in the past.
While Johnson would give the 76ers some more juice on offense, Finney-Smith is on a cheaper contract and still fills plenty of needs for Philly. Brooklyn's asking price likely remains pretty high but the Sixers still should inquire about a trade.
Deni Avdija
The Washington Wizards are rebuilding and could use some extra draft capital. Selling high on Avdija after his career season would be smart, especially because having him signed to a reasonable contract ($15 million next season and decreases in value in each of the following three years) adds to his trade value.
The 23-year-old Avdija is listed at 6-foot-9 and can be a focal point of Philly's defense moving forward. His versatility on the wing would be great to have, as would his strong defensive rebounding. While he isn’t super disruptive in terms of steals or blocks, his toughness on the ball has really popped as of late. Having a stopper like him can be super valuable in a league with so many superstar wings and big guards.
Avdija would help make the Sixers better in transition, as he made strides as a defensive rebounder and grab-and-go threat in the open court. They generated steals more frequently than any other team last season but still lagged behind in pace. Avdija joining up with athletes like Maxey and Ricky Council IV (should he get more minutes) can help Philly turn its steals and stops into points.
Last season was Avdija's best in just about every area, namely three-point shooting. He became a marksman from the corner, canning 48.5 percent of his corner threes. His aggression in transition led to more opportunities at the foul line and a career-best 70.1 percent on shots at the rim. These improvements surely compel the Wizards to keep him but his fit on the Sixers is intriguing.
Kenrich Williams
The Oklahoma City Thunder's impressive drafting and scouting has left them with a glut of depth on the wings. This offseason would be a good time for them to consolidate some of that depth, especially if they want to get former first-rounder Ousmane Dieng more opportunities to play. Williams, a 29-year-old who wasn’t a major factor in their playoff rotation, could be squeezed out of a spot. The Sixers should make the Thunder's potential loss their own gain.
Williams is under contract for roughly $7 million per year in each of the next three seasons (with a team option the last year). He's a strong spot-up shooter from all across the arc, particularly in the corner, and has been a very good offensive rebounder in the past. Although his individual rebounding numbers aren’t insane throughout his career, his teams have gotten offensive rebounds more frequently with him on the court.
Defensively, Williams provides plenty of versatility and has ranked favorably in steals and deflections over the years. He's able to make plays away from the ball, swiping down on opponents as they approach the rim and sliding into passing windows to knock the ball loose.
The Thunder may not be in any rush to trade Williams, making his price no less expensive. But the Sixers must consider him as a viable trade target.
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