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With one bold stroke, the Philadelphia 76ers improved their chances of competing for a championship by adding another All-Star. The Sixers won the Jimmy Butler sweepstakes last week, trading Dario Saric, Robert Covington, Jerryd Bayless and a 2022 second-round pick to the Minnesota Timberwolves. On paper, the deal moved the Sixers to the top of the Eastern Conference race, addressing their need for more scoring and defense.
For a team with championship aspirations this season, the Sixers needed a veteran presence and the addition of the four-time All-Star will provide that. But the team may not want to rest on their laurels just yet. Their depth could be greatly improved and they should look into adding more veterans as well.
Despite issues with his shooting and confidence, Markelle Fultz is young enough for other teams to take a chance on. He’s no longer a player that the Sixers can afford to wait on until he improves if they want a shot at a championship while keeping Butler interested in staying next season and beyond. Aside from Fultz, General Manager Elton Brand will have to dangle one or two expiring contracts in the form of Wilson Chandler and Mike Muscala to entice other teams to make a deal with them.
Here are five potential trade options for the Sixers to look into:
5. Markelle Fultz and Wilson Chandler for Hassan Whiteside
A trade for the Miami Heat’s Hassan Whiteside is risky but he may be worth the risk if they can keep other teams from winning the rebound battle. Pat Riley said, “No Rebounds! No Rings!” when he was piloting the Showtime Lakers in the 80’s and Whiteside will provide the muscle that the Sixers need. Whiteside could also benefit from being in a positive winning culture rather than being on a mediocre team that’s going nowhere. He’s not a franchise center but he is a difference maker, one who would be interesting to watch evolve on a team with superstars around him.
The Miami Heat will be able to free up cap space next season when Chandler’s salary comes off the books as they seek to rebuild around Josh Richardson. At the same time, they have a young player in Fultz who they could help develop into their point guard of the future.
4. Markelle Fultz and Wilson Chandler for Pau Gasol, Chimezie Metu and future first-round pick
This deal is for the Sixers to have one of the best veteran power forwards as a reserve. Pau Gasol’s presence in the locker room is invaluable and will help these young superstars how to behave professionally and how to win when it matters most. The former All-Star is playing his final years in the league but he is still capable of holding down the fort for when Joel Embiid rests. He can also play alongside Embiid in crucial moments especially come playoff time. As for Chimezie Metu, he will play back up to both bigs and learn from them during practice sessions.
The Spurs can be more patient with Fultz since they aren’t going to be competing for a championship anytime soon after losing Kawhi Leonard to the Toronto Raptors. Fultz will benefit greatly from Coach Gregg Popovich who will demand excellence from his young point guard. Pop will also have another veteran guard in Chandler whose expiring contract will give them cap relief next season.
3. Markelle Fultz and Wilson Chandler for Josh Jackson and Trevor Ariza and future first-round pick
Trading one disappointing first-round pick for another may be the highlight of this trade but Philly will also benefit from it with the addition of Trevor Ariza. Ariza was an invaluable member of the Houston Rockets the past four years but he is clearly not enough to change the losing culture in Phoenix. With the Sixers, he will slide into a similar role that he played in Houston.
Perhaps Fultz and Jackson merely need a change of scenery to reach their potential. Jackson had some fantastic games during the last few weeks of the season but hasn’t shown much improvement this year. The Suns are in need of point guard help and Fultz will have all the opportunity he needs to show everyone that he’s not a bust.
2. Markelle Fultz and Wilson Chandler for Kyle Korver, Tristan Thompson and a future second-round pick
The Cleveland Cavaliers are having a fire sale of their veterans and the Sixers should take advantage. They could bring in two veterans with sharp-shooting forward Kyle Korver and forward/center Tristan Thompson in a deal for Fultz and Chandler. The addition of these two veterans could be the final pieces to the puzzle that the Sixers need to win a championship this season. Sure, there will be an adjustment period but the Cavs veterans are complementary pieces who won’t disrupt a team’s system.
Korver’s shooting is the number one benefit from this deal but Thompson’s energy in crashing the boards should not be overlooked.
Meanwhile, Cleveland gets a potential future star with Fultz getting more playing time. Though they already have another trainee point guard with rookie Collin Sexton, having Fultz around could benefit both players. It will be a challenge to them to up their game a notch to take that starting point guard position permanently. If both players blossom into stars, one of them will be trade bait eventually and that will help the Cavs in their rebuilding efforts.
1. Markelle Fultz, Wilson Chandler and Mike Muscala for Tim Hardaway Jr. and Courtney Lee
Tim Hardaway Jr. could become a key player for the Sixers as their starting point guard. Though we all know that Simmons will continue to be the team’s incumbent playmaker, Hardaway can take advantage of the open shots that he will get from playing with two superstars. Then there’s Courtney Lee who will add depth and veteran presence to the Sixers.
For the Knicks, they get much-needed cap space next season with the departure of Hardaway but will have the chance to try out Fultz if he can be the point guard that they can pair with All-Star Kristaps Porzingis. More than that, this gives them the flexibility to pursue a free agent star next season to play alongside Porzingis who will be back to full strength by next year.
NOTE: Trades were simulated using ESPN.com’s NBA Trade Machine
