The Philadelphia 76ers have not gotten off to a great start to the 2022-23 season. At 3-4, they played some dismal basketball to start the year but at least seem to now be getting on the right track. Still, they could use a little more firepower and have a clear option to add some.

Although the Sixers don't need to make a trade right now, there is one player available that makes too much sense to ignore. Jae Crowder, the 32-year-old, 6-foot-6 forward from the Phoenix Suns, is the ideal 3-and-D role player for any team that will be on the move eventually. Even though the season is just getting started, Philly should position itself at the forefront of those trade talks.

Should the Sixers trade for Crowder? Or should they wait a little bit to see how the team looks after a larger sample size? Let's comb through the details.

Should the Sixers trade for Jae Crowder?

Crowder is currently a member of the Suns but has not been participating in games with the team. He is away from the team for reasons he has yet to fully disclose. For Philly, he would fit like a glove.

The Sixers' defense has shown to be vulnerable to forwards so far, with wings/forwards like Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Devin Vassell and Pascal Siakam all having big games against them. Crowder could help Philly's defense, providing another switchable and strong forward to use. His 3-point shooting (36.9 percent over his last two seasons with a 3-point attempt rate of 71.9 percent) makes him a valuable contributor on offense, too, as defenders will respect his ability to space the floor.

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The Sixers talked a lot about wanting to be good on defense before the season started. Once it did, however, they have not been very effective. Crowder would be another new face in a group with several new players, but he would bring some physicality and intensity to a group that, even with the addition of P.J. Tucker, could use a little more.

Doc Rivers has shown a liking towards lineups with Tucker at the 5. When Embiid rests, it's usually Montrezl Harrell or Tucker in at center with a little Paul Reed action sprinkled in. Crowder could come in off the bench and either slide into the 3-spot in between Danuel House Jr. and Georges Niang, or play the 4, taking some of Niang's minutes. Then, he could fill in Tucker's spot with the rest of the starters when he's on the bench.

One argument against trading for Crowder is that the Sixers already have a defensive-minded guy to try out. Matisse Thybulle's emergence in the rotation has been sudden. Although he can be (and has been) a sort of defensive spark plug for the regular season, the portion of the NBA calendar where it truly matters tells another story.

As solid as Thybulle has been in the games where he received significant playing time so far this season, it shouldn't mean that a Crowder trade should be off the table. Philly knows Thybulle isn't a reliable playoff performer. Playing him more also wouldn't offer the same value that the addition of Crowder would, as 3-point shooting is a whole different story.

All in all, Crowder would fit in well with this Sixers roster from a rotation standpoint and could help soften the workload for Tucker. He has also proven to be a key player on numerous playoff teams in the past.

So, what would a Crowder trade look like?

The Suns would take almost anything at this point, as they are not getting anything from Crowder right now and he is on an expiring contract. Although a ton of teams are keeping their eye on Crowder, the knowledge that he is on the outs with the Suns should drive his price somewhat down.

A trade involving, for example, Thybulle and Furkan Korkmaz would work financially with Crowder's $10 million deal. Philly has one second-round pick in the 2023 draft after losing one because of a tampering investigation. Phoenix may have a more expensive asking price but knows it will eventually have to trade him for something.

Although the Sixers don't have an urgent need for a trade, the downsides to bringing in Crowder are negligible. They can certainly correct the course with who they have right now, but having another playoff-hardened, two-way player would fit right in with Daryl Morey's vision for the team. He would give them another reliable bench option for the regular season and playoffs.

The Sixers should certainly wait until later in the season to make a definitive judgment about their team. However, a Crowder trade could be a simple tweak to the roster that doesn't cost an arm and a leg. Their defense leaves tons of room for improvement, and Crowder can certainly help with that while providing value on offense.

With Jae Crowder reportedly having significant interest in joining the Miami Heat or Atlanta Hawks, the Sixers should get the better of their Eastern Conference rivals and swing a trade.