After being eliminated in the playoffs by the Miami Heat in the second round, it’s clear the Philadelphia 76ers need to make some changes if they truly want to get over the hump and win a championship.
Having James Harden and Joel Embiid to build around is a good start, even if this version of Harden is a far cry from what he was back in Houston when he took home the MVP award.
Tyrese Maxey is an emerging star, Tobias Harris is still a dependable option if he’s not moved in the offseason, and Matisse Thybulle was just named to the All-Defensive team so the Sixers do have the makings of a good core.
While the offseason hasn’t officially begun in the NBA, some fans have taken matters into their own hands and looked at some trades that would help the Sixers. One fan proposes acquiring talented big man Christian Wood, and it might not even cost a ton.
Wood to Sixers
GettyChristian Wood, Rockets
The Sixers could use some more scorers, and that became abundantly clear in the playoffs once Embiid was injured. It doesn’t seem like Harden can score at will anymore, so the team needs others to step up.
Getting somebody like Wood would go a long way, and Reddit user acm703 urges the team to make a move for him. They argue Wood would fit in with Harden due to his ability to catch lobs, and also mention his contract is small compared to the numbers he puts up.
“James Harden’s game is centered around unpredictability,” writes acm703. “Having a lob option pass on every drive to the rim was essential for his scoring in Houston. when the defender has to guess pass vs shot or drive vs step back, James capitalizes on those split moments of indecision to cook defenses.”
The Reddit user mentions that although Embiid is excellent, he doesn’t catch lobs like somebody like Wood would do.
“Embiid is a great big but I don’t see him catching a lot of easy lobs like harden would throw to Capela in Houston,” they continued. “Whereas Harden and Wood played shortly in Houston and with hardens expert level lob passes, he feasted.”
Wood is entering the final year of his deal where he’s making $14.3 million, so the contract is certainly movable. Danny Green has an expiring contract that could be thrown it to almost match this salary, and if the Sixers package Thybulle, picks and some other assets it could be enough to move the needle.
Could it Happen?
Getty ImagesJoel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers.
The Rockets could very well be ready to move on from Wood and get something in return for him, but it’s not clear if a potential offers from the Sixers would be enough.
If they took the above offer serious, it’s hard to look at it as much more than a salary dump, and the Rockets might think they can get more for their young, talented big man.
Wood has flourished with the Rockets, but his stats have come on a bad team, so there could be some assumptions made that these are empty stats. While he’s not going to be the first option on a team, he can certainly slide into a role similar to what he would have on the Sixers and be effective. It’ll be interesting to see what Houston decides to do.
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Sixers Urged to Trade for 26-Year-Old High Scoring Big Man