Proposed Trade Swaps Sixers’ Former First-Round Pick for $20 Million Wing

Getty Jae'Sean Tate

The Philadelphia 76ers have added some reinforcements already this offseason by signing Patrick Beverley and Mo Bamba, and they have assets to get more. Bleacher Report’s Dan Favale proposed a trade to help the Sixers with their wing depth. Favale proposed the following swap between the Sixers and Houston Rockets.

76ers Receive: Jae’Sean Tate

Rockets Receive: Danuel House Jr., Furkan Korkmaz, Philadelphia’s 2027 second-round pick, Portland’s 2029 second-round pick

Favale first explained how Tate could be attainable for the Sixers for Korkmaz, who was the Sixers’ first-round pick in 2016, and others.

“Tate’s shaky outside shot renders him less than plug-and-play, but he’s an excellent value proposition. Knee and ankle injuries limited him to 31 games last season, and he has since toppled down the Rockets’ depth chart following the arrivals of Dillon Brooks, Amen Thompson, Fred VanVleet, and Cam Whitmore, not to mention the emergence of Tari Eason,” Favale wrote.

He then added what Tate could bring to the Sixers, both on the court and to their salary cap.

“Landing Tate for two seconds and two fringe-rotation players is (inter)stellar business. He brings defensive pressure up and down the perimeter, some spot ball-handling, and shot better than 53 percent on drives last season. His team option for 2024-25 fits nicely into the Sixers’ cap-space plan next summer, and it should be easy to squeeze a third team into this framework if Houston doesn’t want to complete a one-for-two.”

Tate is entering the second year of a three-year, $20 million contract he signed with the Rockets in 2021.

Justise Winslow Floated as Free Agent Target

If the Sixers truly are searching for more depth at the wing spot, Ky Carlin of Sixers Wire explained why he believes former lottery pick Justise Winslow would be a good option despite his tendency to get hurt.

“While oft-injured, Winslow is a more than solid option this late in free agency. He can handle the ball, he can defend at a high level, his basketball IQ is high, and he has good size to help on the glass. As mentioned, the availability with him is a concern. He’s only played 114 out of a possible 309 games since the start of the 2019-20 season, but he might be worth a flier for Philadelphia,” Carlin wrote.

Winslow is one of the few wings left on the market, and his inability to stay healthy could make it feasible to add him for cheap.

James Harden & Sixers May Be Headed for ‘Uglier Battle’

On July 17, Philly Voice’s Kyle Neubeck reported that not only is James Harden still pushing for a trade despite his teammates lobbying for his return.

“James Harden continues to push for a trade out of town following a disagreement over how free agency was handled this summer. Teammates have tried to give Harden a lifeline by reinforcing their desire to play with him next season, though those efforts do not seem to have changed the problem at hand,” Neubeck wrote.

Neubeck added that while Harden has no issues with his teammates, the standoff between him and the front office could get uglier from here.

“Harden and his representation may not hold ill will toward his teammates, but there’s still a rift between him/them and management, and there is a growing expectation that rift could lead to an even uglier battle, sources said.”