5 non-star trades Sixers can make to contend

1. Sixers can trade for Wizards' Tyus Jones

If the Sixers can't land the right star at the trade deadline, it's difficult to fathom a more beneficial addition than Tyus Jones. The 27-year-old has been toiling away for the lowly Washington Wizards, but his individual production is highly encouraging despite the non-ideal circumstances. Jones is averaging 12.5 points and 5.5 assists on .524/.433/.750 splits in 27.7 minutes.

Despite watching Jordan Poole hero-ball his way to points on a regular basis — and despite playing with a largely inexperienced and inefficient collective — Jones has lived up to his trademark reputation for ball control and efficiency. He's only averaging 0.8 turnovers per game in his first season as a full-time starter. The Sixers would demote Jones back to the second unit, but he would garner significant playing time for a group in desperate need of his skill set.

The Sixers need another guard to set the table. It's that simple. Both Embiid and Maxey have made incredible playmaking leaps this season, but it gets dicey whenever one sits. Jones' role is scalable, malleable. He can fit into the Sixers' offensive framework, or operate as head of the snake. He's not an elite self-creator, but he works patiently out of pick-and-rolls with razor-sharp court vision and enough pull-up shooting juice to keep the defense honest. Jones would work wonders in two-man actions with Embiid. He is only 6-foot-1, and therefore limited on defense, but the offensive benefits would drastically outweigh the negatives.

Philadelphia isn't going to find a better combination of shooting, playmaking, and unselfishness at the deadline. Jones' style is oriented toward elevating others. He can step up when the moment demands it — he frequently thrived during Ja Morant's absences in Memphis — but Jones is more than content as a role player accentuating a team's star apparatus. He would close a lot of games due to his steadfast decision-making and timely shooting.

Washington will demand real value in return. The Sixers give up future picks and their top prospect, in addition to salary filler. But, Jones would be worth every penny, now and when the Sixers attempt to re-sign him in the offseason.