Ideal Trade Partners for the Philadelphia 76ers During the 2015 NBA Offseason
The Philadelphia 76ers will need to deliver during the 2015 NBA offseason, and searching for ideal trade partners is a great first step.
Certain parts of the offseason are limited to a specific time frame. The draft is a perfect example as teams scout and prepare for months, but not much can be done after the date of the event on June 25, 2015.
Executing the perfect trade is different, though.
Apart from a moratorium for the first eight days of July where free-agents can't be signed, teams are free to wheel and deal once the season ends all the way up until the next year's trade deadline. Organizations will do everything in their power to improve a roster, and moving the right players or picks is a crucial step in the process.
It's one the Sixers will need to carefully consider if they want to turn the corner and begin to win.
The most difficult part will be understanding the right balance of what to give up in order to see a return worth acquiring. Finding a team who has opposite strengths and weaknesses is oftentimes the best way to find the most ideal trade partners.
Especially for a team as unique as Philadelphia.
The impending close to the Kobe Bryant era has the Los Angeles Lakers looking to skip a long rebuilding process in hopes of being among the Western Conference's elite teams once again.
Having the No. 2 pick in this year's draft along with Julius Randle's return from a broken leg is definitely a good start. The essential building blocks should be in place by the start of the 2015-16 season.
Los Angeles' focus must now turn to its supporting cast.
Ryan Kelly was a sharpshooting power forward coming out of Duke who has had a good opportunity to showcase his strengths during his two years with the Lakers.
The problem is that his numbers are going down as his playing time increases. There was a drop in Kelly's points and rebounds per game, along with a shooting percentage that went from 42.3 in his first year to 33.7 in his second. There aren't any questions surrounding his skill as a shooter, but the disconnect between his talent and production was a serious problem this past season.
A simple one-for-one deal for somebody like Isaiah Canaan would benefit both parties.
Los Angeles would be getting a 1-guard who has the ability to get 15-20 points off the bench on any given night. Canaan would also be the perfect backup to Jordan Clarkson, and replacement for Jeremy Lin at the point as he is rumored to be leaving the Lakers soon.
Kelly would provide the Sixers with a much-needed shooter. It's difficult to find a power forward capable of coming off the bench and knocking down one or two three-pointers per game, and it could do wonders for Philly's uptempo offense.
Pairing him with Nerlens Noel or Joel Embiid in a lineup would also space the floor out beautifully. Defenses would have to respect Kelly on the perimeter and Noel or Embiid on the inside, and wouldn't be able to over-help one way or the other.
Los Angeles' ongoing need to avoid a long rebuilding process will always keep its eyes open for potential trades.
Philadelphia would be wise to explore its options with the Lakers in the coming months.
The Cleveland Cavaliers have the NBA's ultimate luxury with LeBron James on the team. He's not only arguably the league's best player, but high-profile free agents flock to play on his squad in hopes of someday winning a title.
Once the core group of players is set, the Cavs rely on a few key backups to keep the ship upright while LeBron and company grab their needed rest every now and then. Cleveland doesn't need a group of All-Stars coming off the bench, just a few people who have a specific skill and execute it well enough to be productive at the NBA level.
This makes the Cavaliers a perfect trade candidate, as they're a veteran team who is in the market for filler pieces—the kind of spot that second-rounders tend to fill so well.
Philadelphia is holding on to five second-round selections in the upcoming draft, whereas Cleveland only has one at No. 53. The Sixers are in a position to give away a pick or two in exchange for a prospect with potential—somebody like the Cavs' Joe Harris.
Harris was taken with the No. 33 pick in last year's draft, and he's had a difficult time working into Cleveland's rotation with Iman Shumpert, J.R. Smith and Matthew Dellavedova ahead of him.
Harris didn't get much playing time, but was able to prove his worth when it came to shooting the basketball. He was best from out deep as he finished the year making 36.9 percent of the 1.6 three-pointers he took per game. It is an impressive-looking number considering he only saw the court for 9.7 minutes per game.
It might be worth it for the Sixers to throw a second-rounder or two at the the Cavaliers in exchange for someone like Harris. Cleveland would benefit from an extra body at a more needed position such as power forward or center, and Philadelphia would get a shooting guard with a solid jumper.
Harris' experience level is low, but at least Philly would know what they are getting in him.
The same can't be said for a person taken with the No. 47 pick in this year's draft who could very well end up being cut by the beginning of the regular season.
It wouldn't be a blockbuster move, but it has the potential of benefiting both teams.
The Charlotte Hornets got themselves into a tricky situation.
Acquiring Lance Stephenson during the 2014 offseason had them looking like big winners. He was coming off an impressive playoff run with the Indiana Pacers, and signing him to a $27 million contract was surely going to help the struggling Hornets.
At least that's what most people thought.
Instead, Stephenson failed to live up to any expectations, and was even on the trade block as early as December of 2014—a little less than two months into the season. He finished the year averaging 8.2 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.9 assists in 25.8 minutes per game. He also only made 17.1 percent of his three-point attempts.
Yes, 17.1 percent.
SB Nation's Jesus Gomez wrote an article on Stephenson and what went wrong throughout the year. It appears as though his inability to play alongside specific teammates led to him seeing the bench more than the floor:
"When Stephenson has shared the floor with Kemba Walker and Al Jefferson -- the two most important players on the team -- Charlotte has been outscored by almost 10 points per 100 possessions. Stephenson was supposed to be the team's starting shooting guard, but he's been unplayable next to the team's stars...
It's abundantly obvious that the Hornets are simply better off without Stephenson.
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It doesn't make much sense for one of Charlotte's most ineffective players to also be its second-highest paid. If the team can't see a future with the 24-year-old, then the Hornets are better off getting rid of his contract in order to open up flexibility with their cap space down the road.
This is where Philadelphia jumps in.
Taking on the money associated with Stephenson wouldn't be a problem for the Sixers, who have the league's lowest payroll. Another advantage to acquiring him is that there's a team option in his contract scheduled at the end of the 2015-16 season. If this year wasn't a fluke and he truly isn't worth what he's being paid, then Philadelphia can simply not pick up his contract and turn him into a free agent next offseason.
If he does manage to return to form, then the Sixers will get one of the league's most versatile shooting guards—a player who can score in a number of different ways, along with being able to lock an opponent down on the defensive end.
The Hornets would likely ask for someone like Robert Covington, or Tony Wroten combined with a possible second-rounder in exchange for Stephenson. Clearing cap space wouldn't be enough by itself. Charlotte would need to bring in some talent or value if it were to go through with this kind of deal.
Philly should ideally be addressing its point guard concerns with the No. 3 pick in the upcoming draft.
It would make sense for them to take care of the shooting guard spot during the 2015 offseason as well.
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