NBA Trade Talk: 5 Trades to Get Philadelphia 76ers Back in Contention

After a long post-Allen Iverson hangover, the Philadelphia 76ers finally look like a franchise with purpose. They found the right coach (Doug Collins), landed a couple of good young players (Jrue Holiday and Thaddeus Young) and may finally shed some dead-weight salary (Jason Kapono) in the coming year.

This offseason, opportunity must meet action.

Start with these five trade proposals, each of which would help Philly contend in the long-term.

The Tradeables

First, let’s look at the most trade-eligible players on the roster.

Jodie Meeks, SG - He’s a nice scoring option with a decent outside stroke, but his statistical  jump (10.5 points per game this year versus 4.7 points per game last years) is more the result of minutes he probably doesn’t deserve (27.9 minutes per game) than it is to changes in his game.

Andre Iguodala, SG/F - Duh. The Sixers have been shopping him for nearly two years now. He’s a good player whose contract simply doesn’t fit into the team’s rebuilding strategy. His superior wing defense and transition scoring make him the most attractive trading chip on the club. He’ll be a common thread through most of these slides.

Lou Williams, SG - A young and enormously efficient bench scorer, his 21.2 points per 36 minutes will spark plenty of interest. He can’t defend much, but he’s probably a better player than most folks realize.

Marreese Speights, C/F - Speights has the size and agility to be a solid rotation player in the NBA, and maybe even more. PER places him above average each of his three years in the league. Mental mistakes keep him from earning coach Doug Collins’ trust, so a change in scenery might be in order.

Thaddeus Young, F* - Young oscillates between match-up nightmare and over-matched on a nightly basis, never able to fully establish himself at either forward position. Put in the right position, he can terrorize an opposing defense, but he’s not so indispensable to the Sixers’ plans that he cannot be moved.

Andres Nocioni, SF - He’s a filler player at the end of the rotation who probably won’t wet many palettes. If someone wants the Argentine, the Sixers would surely listen.

Spencer Hawes, C* - Started games ceremonially in 2010-11 before heading to the bench for most of the remaining quarters. I doubt the Sixers would re-sign him just to ship him elsewhere, but anything is possible. With a rookie center coming in, he’s completely expendable.

*Indicates a sign-and-trade.

The Un-Tradeables

Either the Sixers wouldn’t dare, or no one wants these fellas.

Jrue Holiday, PG - The undisputed best young player on this team could be a top-five point guard in the NBA someday. In what has become a point guard’s league, the Sixers won’t chance trading him.

Evan Turner, SG - Even after a shaky first season, he is too young and does too many things well to trigger a trade. He may never score 20 points a game, but he’s a solid defender, a good passer, and an excellent rebounder. It’s too early to jump ship.

Elton Brand , PF- At $16 million, no one would take the aging All-Star off Philly’s hands. He’ll remain a solid contributor at an astronomical price until his contract mercifully ends in 2013.

Nikola Vucevic/Lavoy Allen, C/PF - Before the team makes any personnel decisions regarding their futures, the Sixers will have to see their 2011 draft picks take the floor.

Iguodala and Speights to the Clippers for Al-Farouq Aminu and Chris Kaman

The Clippers want Iguodala.

They made that much clear when they offered Chris Kaman and Ryan Gomes for Iguodala and Speights right before the 2011 draft.  The idea of putting an elite stopper like Iguodala alongside Eric Gordon, Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan would make an athletic team even scarier in the open court.

In the end, the Sixers balked because they wouldn't get any young assets in return, just Kaman’s expiring contract. By adding Al-Farouq Aminu to the deal the Sixers get a potential contributor to add to their core and the Clippers get their man.

Kaman would help anchor the center next year while Al-Farouq Aminu could grow into the small forward position. Aminu resembles a young Iguodala in a lot of ways, and already boasts above-average defensive skills. With this deal, the Sixers get younger and free up a lot of salary for the coming offseasons.

Young and Iguodala to Sacramento for DeMarcus Cousins and Marcus Thornton

If it wasn’t for DeMarcus Cousins’ poor attitude, this trade wouldn’t be a possibility. As is, the tremendously talented young center might just whine his way out of Sacramento.

The Sixers would make a willing welcome party.

Philly hasn’t had a two-way interior presence since Charles Barkley skipped town in the 1990s, and the current squad lacks anyone with 20 and 10 potential. Cousins’ rebounding toughness and deft scoring touch could one day make him a top-50 player, and the hope here lies in Doug Collins’ ability to curb Cousins’ attitude.

The Sixers also get Thornton, a promising perimeter scorer, to help ease the pain left by Iguodala’s departure. Now if the Kings weren’t willing to part with a player who averaged 21.3 points per game over the last 27 games of 2010-11, the Sixers might even accept a lesser player like F/G Francisco Garcia in his stead.

The Kings get Iguodala, a player who makes them better instantly, and a developing Thaddeus Young to place alongside incumbent point guard Tyreke Evans.

Williams to Chicago for Taj Gibson, Round 1 Pick ('12) , Round 2 Pick ('13)

Lou Williams is exactly the type of player the Bulls need to take some of the perimeter scoring pressure off of Derrick Rose. Taj Gibson gives the Sixers a better true backup for Elton Brand and a young rebounding presence that one day could crack the starting lineup.

Williams, a potential Sixth Man of the Year candidate, is the more valuable player, so it’s reasonable to ask for draft pick compensation.

The Bulls own the rights to Charlotte’s Round 1 pick in 2012 if the Bobcats don’t pick in the top 14, and a mid-to late-round selection would give the Sixers’ draft prospects a jolt.

Iguodala and Meeks to Houston for Kevin Martin

This blockbuster helps both teams in an area of urgent need.

The Rockets’ porous defense needs an upgrade and Iguodala fits the bill. He’s a very rich man’s Chase Budinger whose presence will help account for their size deficiencies down low.

Martin’s offense, in turn, appeals to the Sixers. For a team that hasn’t had a night-in-night-out scorer since Allen Iverson departed, Martin’s quietly efficient game (his true shooting percentage ranked fourth-best among starting guards) gives the Sixers the instant offense they’ve lacked in recent years.

Martin is younger and a bit cheaper, so Philadelphia would probably have to throw in a player like Jodie Meeks to make a deal work.

Iguodala and Protected Round 1 Pick to Minnesota for D. Williams and W. Johnson

The Sixers demurred on an offer like this circa the draft, before they knew what might happen with the second overall pick.

Now that they know Derrick Williams is Minnesota’s man, might they reconsider?

Williams is a potential scoring force down low who could start immediately if the Sixers wanted, or play understudy for a year while Elton Brand tutors him. And although replacing Iguodala with Wesley Johnson sets the team back in the short-term, adding Williams and Johnson to young core players like Jrue Holiday and Evan Turner gives the franchise great balance moving forward.

Pluck a defensive center off the free agent market, mix in a few veteran role players, and that roster looks pretty complete.