Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid are both great players and possibly the leaders of tomorrow in the NBA. However, despite being top tier talent-wise, the two stars simply haven’t found success together.
The Sixers will surely make a splash this offseason: their offseason signings in Tobias Harris and Al Horford simply haven’t panned out. The Philadelphia front office already messed up once: here are 5 players who the Sixers can trade for to complement their two young stars and complete their Big 3.
Victor Oladipo
Victor Oladipo will most likely leave the Indiana Pacers after testing free agency. The type of player that the Sixers need, is someone exactly like Oladipo: an athletic guard who can score on all 3 levels, and play off-ball as a shooter if needed. The 76ers need a shooting guard who can create for himself, but also be able to make plays off of feeds from Ben Simmons. Oladipo can do both of those things.
Oladipo hasn’t looked the same since his injury, but that could be attributed to needing more recovery time. At his peak, Oladipo is a bruising combo guard who can get to the rim but also score from the outside. The Sixers would need to clear a massive amount of cap space to get him, but it is within the realm of possibility if they get their massive contracts off their payroll, or negotiate a sign and trade for Tobias Harris.
Chris Paul
Chris Paul is a veteran PG who proved his worth on the Oklahoma City Thunder this year. He led them to a playoff appearance when they weren’t even supposed to be in the conversation. Paul has also been a part of historically great teams such as the Lob City Clippers or the D’Antoni Rockets.
Essentially, the small guard breathes winning. CP3 is a winning player, and the Sixers should trade for him if the price is right. Paul fits the mold of the player that the Sixers need who can shoot, but also handle when needed.
Since Paul is older with a high salary, then it should be easier to trade for him. A package based around Josh Richardson, Furkan Korkmaz, and Al Horford with a few second-round picks should get the job done and bring CP3 on. If this trade were to happen then the Sixers would be instant contenders in the East, and finally have some shooting on their roster at the guard position, and elite shooting at that.
CJ McCollum
CJ McCollum has been a perennial 20 PPG scorer on the Portland Trail Blazers. Asides from winning Most Improved Player, he hasn’t gotten a lot of accolades. I would imagine that he could sneak in a few All-Star games in the East and that could be motivation to seek a trade. The Trailblazers do this if they are hitting the reset button and decide that Dame and CJ don’t get them further than the WCF.
The Trail Blazers will most likely want a young piece or two along with one of the Sixers massive contracts. I’ve mentioned Al Horford, Tobias Harris, and Furkan Korkmaz, but another piece that could get traded is Matisse Thybulle. Matisse Thybulle is a generationally good defender and can space the floor somewhat.
However, if he is the price to get CJ McCollum then Philadelphia should pull the plug, since McCollum is a great scorer who will finally be on a team where he can take a lot of shots, as Simmons is happy to make plays for others.
John Wall
John Wall was a perennial All-Star before the injuries. In this scenario, the Sixers take a gamble on the All-Star, hoping that he regains his form.
In his prime, he could easily drop a double-double with points and assists, as well as create open 3 point looks for his teammates based on the threat of his drives. In 2018-2019 he also shot 37% from 3 on 4.1 attempts per game, showing promise in his long-range jumper. John Wall might not be the option that fits best: but at the very least it’s an intriguing one.
If the 76ers are able to get John Wall for cheap then they should do it. The Wizards will surely want Josh Richardson and Tobias Harris, and most likely a young piece and a pick. My favorite to get traded in this scenario is Shake Milton, a younger PG who can space the floor.
The trade package could be Tobias Harris, Josh Richardson, and a future first-round pick, or as an alternative to the pick, a young player like Milton. The Sixers end up taking a flyer on a former All-Star, and getting rid of a bad contract while giving up Richardson and an asset of value. Seems reasonable for both sides
Jrue Holiday
Complete the Process. Jrue Holiday coming back to the 76ers would be a poetic story. Jrue was an All-Star in Philadelphia, the only All-Star nod of his career. He is also not getting any awards on the Pelicans. Jrue would be a cheap option to come back to Philly due to his age and the direction of the Pelicans rebuild.
The trade would surely be based around Matisse Thybulle and a contract, since the Pelicans are trying to rebuild around Zion, and if Jrue were to get traded, then perhaps Thybulle could emulate some of his defensive prowess and floor spacing.
Jrue is one of the best two-way guards in the NBA, and would be able to alleviate some of the pressure off of Ben Simmons on the offensive end, but also the defensive end. Jrue has All-Defensive accolades and can shoot the ball at a decent clip from beyond the arc (35 % on the year). Holiday would be a perfect fit back in Philadelphia as a shot-making guard who can also go hard on the defensive end. If Holiday goes to Philadelphia, then surely they will have a case for the best defense in the league.
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