76ers Trade Predictions Ahead of Thursday’s Deadline
It's finally happening, folks.
Or not.
This could be the week when the Philadelphia 76ers grant Ben Simmons' wish for a change of scenery and route a big-time player back to the City of Brotherly Love. Or the saga could drag on past Thursday's NBA trade deadline and not be resolved before the offseason (at the earliest).
No team will influence the trade market more than the Sixers, so let's give them our full focus and provide a few predictions about what could be in the works.
No Resolution to the Simmons Saga
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A Simmons megadeal could be predicted here, but is a prediction truly bold if it has no chance of coming true?
How do I know Simmons is definitely going nowhere? I don't. But read these tea leaves and tell me what you think.
B/R's Jake Fischer reported that the 76ers haven't even contacted the Brooklyn Nets front office regarding a James Harden blockbuster. Fischer added that a deadline deal with Simmons "remains unlikely" because Philly's front office is still "committed to waiting for a player of Harden's or Bradley Beal's character to become available."
Nothing seems to be brewing on those fronts. Ditto for Damian Lillard. Where is this All-Star return the Sixers want for Simmons coming from? Nowhere, it seems—not before the deadline, at least.
Tobias Harris Stays Put
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During Philadelphia's explorations of a Simmons swap, Tobias Harris' name surfaced as a possible attachment.
He is the Sixers' No. 2 offensive option, but he exists in a gray area in which he could be deemed both coveted and expendable. The former stems from his heavy offensive punch, currently manifesting as 18.9 points on 48.2/34.2/85.1 shooting. The latter highlights how he's paid like a star ($36 million salary, per Spotrac) but doesn't quite reside in that tier.
That made it unclear whether Philadelphia was marketing him as a sweetener to up the offers or simply looking to shed his salary.
Don't worry too much about the intention, though, because a Harris trade feels highly unlikely. His salary complicates his trade value and almost guarantees he's worth more to the Sixers on the court than in a deal.
Philadelphia Makes a Minor Move to Beef Up Bench
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The Sixers can keep Simmons and Harris without sitting out trade season entirely.
That appears to be the intention, as Philadelphia is seemingly interested in doing something—just on a much, much smaller scale than those potential blockbusters.
The Sixers, per Fischer, want to beef up their ball-handling and rebounding and could dangle Paul Reed and Isaiah Joe to address those areas.
If Reed and Joe are the trade bait, then set your expectations accordingly. They might nab a specialist, but any incoming player would head straight to the second unit and, at most, carve out a niche role.
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