5 non-star trades Sixers can make to contend

3. Sixers can trade for Pacers' Buddy Hield and Bruce Brown

This is the closest we will get to blockbuster status in this article. A lot of money exchanges hands in this trade. Tobias Harris is due north of $39 million in his final season. Buddy Heild's expiring contract is worth $19.2 million. Bruce Brown signed a two-year, $45 million deal over the summer. The Indiana Pacers also get Philadelphia's best "prospect" in 21-year-old Jaden Springer.

Philadelphia might hesitate to compromise their cap space for next summer, but the idea of signing two max free agents is wishful thinking. The 2024 free agent class isn't exactly loaded with top-end players eager to leave their current situation. The few who might aren't great fits in Philadelphia. The Sixers can eat Brown's contract and still maintain enough flexibility to carve out north of $30 million in spending money.

Brown hasn't lived up to his contract in Indiana, but he was essential to Denver's 2023 championship run. He knows how to win. A talented connective wing who can splash 3s, drive, rapid-fire pass, and defend across the positional spectrum would find plenty of room to flourish in Nick Nurse's system. As for Hield, it's not difficult to decipher the appeal from Philadelphia's perspective. He's one of the best volume shooters in recent NBA history. Embiid generally does his best work when paired with elite movement shooters capable of running DHOs and stressing the defense.

Indiana gets off Brown's contract and frees up money for next summer. Harris profiles as an immediate upgrade to the starting lineup, averaging 16.9 points and 3.1 assists on .510/.357/.877 splits in 33.7 minutes. He's a valuable culture-setter and he would pair beautifully with Tyrese Haliburton on paper. Indiana also gets to invest in Springer, who can raise hell with his effort level on defense.

The financial implications are a massive hurdle for Philadelphia to clear, but it at least merits consideration.