Getty Tobias Harris of the Philadelphia 76ers
If the Philadelphia 76ers are approaching the NBA Trade Deadline with the mindset that they want more financial flexibility, Heavy Sports’ Jack Simone proposed a trade between them, the Los Angeles Lakers, and Charlotte Hornets that would help them accomplish that goal. The main asset that Philadelphia would have to trade away in this scenario would be Tobias Harris.
With that in mind, here is the outline of Simone’s trade between the three teams.
Lakers receive: Harris, Terry Rozier, Matisse Thybulle
76ers receive: Kelly Oubre Jr., Patrick Beverley, Cody Martin
Hornets receive: Russell Westbrook, Jaden Springer, 2027 1st-Round Pick (Top-3 Protected via LAL), 2029 1st-Round Pick (via PHI), 2023 2nd-Round Pick (via LAL), 2025 2nd-Round Pick (via LAL)
Simone went on to explain why the Sixers would agree to a three-way trade from both a financial standpoint and what the incoming pieces could do on the court for the Sixers.
“The Sixers would add some solid pieces for this year, but a deal like this would also give them some extra financial freedom this summer, as Oubre and Beverley are on expiring deals. Oubre will be out a bit past the All-Star break, but once he returns, he’ll be a nice scoring threat.
“Beverley would give the Sixers a pest to employ at the guard position, adding some defense there. Martin would also be a great pickup, as he’s an ideal 3&D guy when healthy and is under contract for three more years after this one at a reasonable cost.”
Though this trade would open up some cap room this summer, the Sixers would have to ask themselves if it’s worth shaking up their starting lineup that drastically by trading Harris.
Another Proposed Trade Would Send Sixers Martin
Dan Favale of Bleacher Report proposed a trade that would send the Sixers Cody Martin without having to trade away Harris in the process. Favale’s trade is outlined like this:
Philadelphia 76ers Receive: Cody Martin
Charlotte Hornets Receive: Furkan Korkmaz, Matisse Thybulle, 2028 second-round pick
Favale then explained why both the Hornets and Sixers would agree to a trade like this.
“Martin is battling left knee issues and hasn’t looked great when available,” Favale wrote. “That just means it’s a good time for Philly to try buying low. Martin fills a bunch of gaps at both ends, and Charlotte might be skittish amid his injuries after signing him to a new contract over the summer.”
He then explained why the Sixers would want a player like Martin around.
“Philly might prefer a perimeter player who is higher-volume from deep—and has a better track record of making them. Martin’s 38.4 percent clip on triples last year is an outlier compared to his career clip (31.8 percent) and came on just 3.1 attempts per 36 minutes.”
Sixers’ Prioritizing Acquiring Upgrades Over Saving Money
Kyle Neubeck of PhillyVoice explained that, though the Sixers are interested in saving money, their primary interest at the trade deadline is to get some upgrades for their current roster.
“As has been reported elsewhere, if the Sixers can get under the luxury tax threshold prior to the deadline, there’s certainly interest in doing that, though it would not come as a priority over upgrading the roster. ‘Cheaper and better’ would be the ideal outcome for any team in a cap league, not just the Sixers,” Neubeck said.
While the Sixers are not likely to make the shakeup that they did at last year’s deadline when they acquired James Harden, there are still potential trades out there that could make them better around the margins than they are with their current squad.