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The NBA offseason is full of crazy trade ideas from fans that can't wait for the season to start. It's been less than two months since the offseason officially started, but we're already seeing some insane trade ideas. One of these wacky trades involves the Philadelphia 76ers and the New Orleans Pelicans, and it features some truly crazy names.
The trade comes from ESPN, and it essentially involves a swap between the Sixers' James Harden and the Pelicans' Zion Williamson. Let's take a look at this trade hypothetical and see if this trade makes sense for both parties.
The Trade:
Philadelphia 76ers get: Williamson ($33M this year), Larry Nance Jr. ($10M this year), Garrett Temple ($5M), Trey Murphy III ($3M)
New Orleans Pelicans get: James Harden (currently $33M before opt out; Harden must agree to sign-and-trade), P.J. Tucker ($10.5M), Mac McClung(qualifying offer), two 2024 second-round picks (76ers' and Knicks' picks)
Philadelphia 76ers: C-
The Sixers need a massive shakeup. They have been consistent playoff contenders over the past half-decade or so, but they are yet to make it to the Conference Finals, let alone the Finals itself. They've tried everything, from changing coaches to roster shakeups and whatnot. After choking away a 3-2 lead in the second round, the team fired Doc Rivers and replaced him with Nick Nurse.
That's not the only change that could happen, though. The Sixers could still orchestrate a trade involving James Harden, who might want out of Philly at this point (he's an unrestricted free agent). There are plenty of players that the team could trade for in order to improve their team. Zion Williamson is not one of the those players.
First, the basketball fit between Williamson and Joel Embiid is funky at best. While it's not going to be as bad as the fit with Ben Simmons (nothing will ever be as bad as that), it's still going to be unpleasant for the Sixers at best. Embiid is a decent shooter, but his work is best done inside the paint, where he can bully opposing centers. Williamson, on the other hand, likes to hang out in the dunker's spot or attack defenders off the dribble with his speed.
There's a world where this works for the Sixers. Remember, the Pelicans showed what a twin tower combination could look like with Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins. The key difference, though, is that Cousins is a much more skilled passer than any of the two hypothetical Sixers big men. That, and both were significantly better from the outside.
There's also the matter of Williamson's availability. There's no denying that he's one of the best offensive bigs in the league when he's healthy. Unfortunately, his health has been a massive concern over the last few months. This trade just feels like a high-risk, low-reward trade for the Sixers.
New Orleans Pelicans: B
The Pelicans come out of this trade as the clear winners. They've been knocking on the door of greatness for some time now, but they've always fallen short due to some random circumstance. They seemed like great contenders last year… until Zion's injury completely derailed their season. Now, they might be looking to trade their top overall pick.
With this trade, the Pelicans get a legitimate superstar player in James Harden. Harden has his flaws, but he will easily be the best player New Orleans have ever had aside from Chris Paul. His presence should immediately elevate this team higher than where they are now. PJ Tucker is also a serviceable role player that could fill certain niches for the team.
The only real question with this trade is… is it enough to put them in title contention status? If the Pelicans ever trade Zion Williamson, it's most likely going to be a win-now move, a championship-or-bust level move. You don't trade away one of the best prospects in your franchise history just to go through a rebuild.
Frankly, I'm not convinced that a core of Harden, Brandon Ingram, and CJ McCollum is enough to win in the Western Conference. The Nuggets just showed everyone that they're the team to beat in the West. No one really came close to matching their insane chemistry and talent. That's not even mentioning teams like the Grizzlies, the Warriors, the Lakers, and the Kings: teams that fell short this season but have a lot of room to improve.
There's just way too much overlap between the three's playstyles and weaknesses to be a serious title contender. This trade gets an above-average grade for the Pelicans because it makes them better than they are right now, but it doesn't put them over the proverbial hump.
