This 76ers-Bucks trade could mutually benefit ailing East contenders

The Philadelphia 76ers are 1-3 with losses to Detroit and Toronto. The Milwaukee Bucks are 1-4 with losses to Memphis and Brooklyn. Neither team looks particularly well prepared for a run at the NBA championship.

There is, of course, a key difference. The Bucks are (mostly) healthy. Khris Middleton is out, but Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard are available, as is the bulk of Milwaukee's supporting cast. The Sixers are still without Joel Embiid and Paul George, whose ambiguous rehab schedules have left the Philadelphia fandom in a state of constant angst.

For Philadelphia, the concern is that both Embiid and George are slated to miss significant time this season, and the roster doesn't hold up well without them. For Milwaukee, well, there's a slightly deeper source of bubbling dread. If this ship isn't turned around sooner than later, we could start hearing Giannis trade rumors.

The Bucks need to get younger and more athletic. The Sixers need more size and physicality. It's not often that contenders in the same conference strike up trade conversations, but Milwaukee and Philadelphia made the Patrick Beverley-Cam Payne swap last season. It's not impossible.

Here's a trade that could benefit all the parties involved.

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This 76ers-Bucks trade would improve Philadelphia's frontcourt and add to Bucks' depth

The Bucks can probably a squeeze a second-round pick or two out of Philadelphia to sweeten the pot here, but Bobby Portis Sr. is off to a rough start this season. The shine has worn off on his Bucks tenure a bit and Milwaukee really needs a more competent defender behind Brook Lopez as the latter ages.

This trade doesn't necessarily make Milwaukee younger, but KJ Martin's athleticism, play-finishing, and occasional shooting on the wing could add a fresh dynamic to the Bucks second unit. Eric Gordon is a solid depth piece. The more shooting around Giannis, the better, even if Gordon is best suited to 15-20 minutes a night at this point in his career. Reggie Jackson? Well, his salary makes this work in the trade machine. Apologies to Paul George for trading his BFF.

Philadelphia gets to bank on Portis relocating his shooting stroke in a new arena. More backup power forward than backup center in Philadelphia, Portis would supply the Sixers with much-needed physicality on defense and, most importantly, on the glass. Portis doesn't protect the rim well, but station him next to Joel Embiid, and the combination of shot-making and a red-hot motor should play beautifully. Philadelphia needs to be able to scale up and crash the boards, especially when Embiid doesn't play.

Portis would presumably take over backup center duties when Embiid sits, removing the need for ultra-small lineups centered on Guerschon Yabusele or KJ Martin. The defense won't be great, but Portis can rebound, throw his weight around, and stress the opposing defense with his skill level at the five spot. He gives Philadelphia options in the frontcourt, which will be essential with so much uncertainty around Embiid's knee.

Again, the odds of Milwaukee and Philadelphia striking up a trade that benefits the opposition are somewhat slim. The 76ers still view the Bucks as a threat and vice versa. That said, when a chance to improve the roster comes along, the best front offices generally take advantage. This isn't the equivalent of trading Giannis to a conference rival. If the Bucks want to reshape the supporting cast, there can't be too much harm in sending Portis to a new home on the east coast.