3 trades the Philadelphia 76ers have to make this offseason
By Jakob Ashlin
After a disappointing second round exit, the Philadelphia 76ers should shake up their roster this offseason. Here are three trades that they have to make.
The Philadelphia 76ers will face a crossroads this summer. Will they blow it up? Or will they retool around Joel Embiid?
After a successful regular season, they blew a 3-2 series lead in the second round to the Boston Celtics. They have made the playoffs in each of the last six seasons, but they failed to make it past the second round.
The changes are already underway. They fired head coach Doc Rivers. In addition, Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that James Harden is expected to sign with the Houston Rockets in free agency.
The Sixers have no cap space, so losing Harden would be a devastating blow. It will make it astronomically more difficult to build a contender around Embiid.
As they enter a difficult offseason, here are three trades that they have to make.
Sixers trade No. 1: Joel Embiid to the Blazers
Coming off an MVP season, Embiid’s trade value is at its peak. It makes sense for the Sixers to capitalize on that right now.
It will be hard to find a co-star for him this offseason. Furthermore, he is 29 years old, and he has an extensive injury history.
If they can get this return from the Portland Trail Blazers, they should take it immediately. Anfernee Simons, Shaedon Sharpe, and the No. 3 pick give them three potential stars. It will be difficult for any competing trade package to match that upside.
The 23-year-old Simons has quietly developed into an elite scorer. Last season, he averaged 21.1 points and 4.1 assists, while shooting 37.7 percent from 3. Without Damian Lillard in the lineup, his scoring average jumped to 27.9 points per game.
Sharpe was viewed as a raw prospect heading into the 2022 NBA Draft, but he made an immediate impact as a rookie. His athleticism and shooting ability translated right away. Since March 22nd, he is averaging 23.7 points, 6.1 rebounds, 4.1 assists, while shooting 37.8 percent from deep.
A core of Tyrese Maxey, Simons, Sharpe, and the No. 3 pick would give the Sixers a strong foundation for the future.