The Philadelphia 76ers are one of the best teams in basketball right now. They are the first seed in the Eastern Conference and are in full-blown win-now mode. Joel Embiid is an MVP candidate, and Ben Simmons is leading the race for DPOY. The 76ers need to take this opportunity and aim for the championship this season.
Championship rosters have sometimes required midseason trades. A recent example of that was the Marc Gasol to Toronto Raptors trade during the 2019 season: the acquisition of Gasol was the final touch on a contending roster. The Philadelphia 76ers are good. But they could always get even better.
A win-now target for the Philadelphia 76ers could be Evan Fournier of the Orlando Magic. The Orlando Magic are currently the 14th seed in the Eastern Conference, and they could potentially trade aways some of their veterans. Evan Fournier is on an expiring contract, and he could be acquired for a lower amount of assets. Here is a possible trade package.
Philadelphia 76ers Receive: Evan Fournier
Orlando Magic Receive: Danny Green, Matisse Thybulle, 2021 Philadelphia first-round pick
The Orlando Magic Ship Away An Expiring Contract
For the Orlando Magic, now is a realistic time to try and build a young core. They could trade away some of their veteran players in order to garner assets for the future, as it seems clear that their current roster isn’t competing for a championship. Evan Fournier is an expiring contract: if the Orlando Magic don’t plan to re-sign him, then he is a player that other contenders would want. It would make sense to try and get something for the future by trading him.
In this trade package, the Orlando Magic would receive Danny Green for contract matching purposes. Danny Green is a solid veteran who can be a shooter in the immediate term, but his contract expires at the end of the season, meaning that he could seek out another team. That means that the Orlando Magic won’t be saddled with any long-term salary.
The young player that the Orlando Magic would get is Matisse Thybulle. Matisse Thybulle is already a top-tier defender, and he could also be a solid floor spacer given time to develop. Matisse Thybulle could get some consistent minutes on the Orlando Magic, and improve his offensive game with more touches. The Philadelphia 76ers would also ship out their first-round pick this season, but it is a fairly low-value pick due to their position in the standings and is in there as a sweetener to push the deal over the top.
The Philadelphia 76ers Make A Win-Now Move
Despite being on a losing team, Evan Fournier has still had a solid individual season. He is currently averaging 18.5 PPG, 3.1 RPG, and 3.1 APG. He is also shooting 37.1% from the 3PT range on 6.7 attempts a game, making him a pretty good shooter. He could be a great option for the Philadelphia 76ers, as he offers some amazing scoring upside. Evan Fournier is an underrated shot creator on the perimeter, something that the Philadelphia 76ers could use when it comes to getting a bucket in the playoffs. Evan Fournier would also take some of the shot creation load off of Tobias Harris. Adding somebody to the roster who averages almost 20 PPG is almost never a losing prospect.
This deal could push the 76ers to the next level offensively. While Danny Green is a solid 3 and D player, Evan Fournier would be a massive upgrade on the offensive end, while being only slightly worse defensively. Adding an amazing shooting guard who can play on and off the ball would be an amazing opportunity for the Philadelphia 76ers. He could potentially be that mid-season acquisition that gives them an edge in the playoffs. While there is no concrete deal in place, this trade package seems to fit the needs of the Philadelphia 76ers and their desire to contend.
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