3 trades Sixers must offer Wizards after Bradley Beal deal
Porzingis #Porzingis
Bradley Beal’s days with the Washington Wizards are officially over as he joins the Phoenix Suns to form a new superteam with Devin Booker and Kevin Durant. While the Suns look to fill out their own roster, the Philadelphia 76ers can take a stroll throughout the remainder of Washington’s roster. The Sixers, a team in need of some upgrades in the margins, should take a long gander at the players they could potentially add.
Even after the Beal trade, the Wizards’ roster has several good, veteran players that are now surely on the trade block. There are three trade ideas the Sixers should bring to the Wizards as they look to start from scratch. There is also a fourth option that is intriguing but not ideal.
Exercise caution with Kristaps Porzingis
Back in the day, Porzingis wanted no part of the Sixers. When he was one of the top prospects in the 2015 NBA Draft, Porzingis declined to work out and canceled meetings with the team, leading to Philly passing on him with the third overall pick in favor of Jahlil Okafor.
That’s all water under the bridge now as a lot has changed for Porzingis and the Sixers. Building a two-big lineup with him and Joel Embiid would be very intriguing. Although it would necessitate one of them (probably Porzingis) guarding the perimeter a little too often for comfort, the defensive tandem down low would be really something. Good luck to teams trying to get shots at the rim against them. Also, Porzingis has been a very efficient three-point shooter and solid scorer for years and is improving as a rebounder.
However, the reason Porzingis’ fit on the Sixers is imperfect is that his tendencies on offense are too similar to that of Tobias Harris. Both players like to face up their opponents, score in or around the post and are not high-level passers. They both shoot a decent amount of threes but neither has been the three-point gunner that would most optimally fit around Embiid (though Porzingis used to shoot over 40 percent of his field-goal attempts from three).
Plus, Porzingis is about to hit free agency and will likely command a long-term contract worth somewhere around $30 million annually. He brings injury concerns with him, too, as he has missed at least a third of his team’s games in a season twice since missing all of the 2018-19 season with an ACL tear. The Sixers could use Harris’ contract to facilitate a sign-and-trade but keeping Tobias (and the chance to flip him for someone else) may suit Philly better right now.
While Porzingis is perhaps a better individual player than Harris, his fit on the Sixers is quite wonky. While he would bring some new elements to Philly, he would also retain some of the same issues.
3. Delon Wright
The Sixers receive Wright in exchange for Furkan Korkmaz, Montrezl Harrell (opting into his player option) and a second-round draft pick
Lots of teams will likely call about Wright’s availability. The 6-foot-5 guard would fit very well with the Sixers as a defender at the point of attack and a secondary ball-handler for the offense. He played for Nick Nurse when they were both with the Toronto Raptors and has been a respectable three-point shooter.
Wright would fit very well off the bench and is a sound option for the Sixers to play as a forward in three-guard lineups. Acquiring him and his well-rounded skillset is a bit tricky unless the Sixers are willing to part with Jaden Springer, who projects to do a lot of the things Wright can do for cheaper and is under contract for next season. Wright’s contract is set to expire.
The cleanest way for this trade to happen is for Harrell to accept his player option, which is worth a bit below the veteran minimum, and aggregate it with Korkmaz’s deal. Harrell may not be so willing to opt in if he knows the Sixers are simply going to trade him a team that he previously had a bad time on. Perhaps with the promise of a guaranteed payday and a buyout, he would be willing to help facilitate the trade.
2. Kyle Kuzma
The Sixers receive Kuzma in a sign-and-trade in exchange for Tobias Harris and three second-round draft picks in 2024 (via the New York Knicks), 2027 (via the Sixers) and 2029 (most preferable of the Sixers and Portland Trail Blazers)
Kuzma has improved with more freedom on the Wizards after being traded there by the Los Angeles Lakers. The 27-year-old forward, who played at Philadelphia’s Rise Academy before going to college, would give the Sixers some more offensive creation and a stout, athletic defender on the wing.
Although Kuzma has been a rocky shooter over his career, his catch-and-shoot numbers have been fine in recent years. He may not be a sniper but he’s also not someone that defenses will ignore. Having more creators around him should get him cleaner looks and thus boost his percentages. Having him create for them would make for a smoothly operating offense under Nurse. Although he hasn’t been great at generating steals or blocks, he is versatile and attentive on that end of the floor.
A sign-and-trade for Kuzma may command more draft compensation than what has been offered here, especially if other teams show heavy interest. Still, the Sixers would be wise to see if it’s in the cards for them.
1. Chris Paul and Corey Kispert
The Sixers receive Paul and Kispert while sending Tobias Harris, Jaden Springer and second-round draft picks to Washington. The Suns send Landry Shamet to the Wizards and their incoming package stays the same.
Paul is involved in the Beal trade but Washington is keeping its eyes peeled for options to dump the veteran guard to a contending team. If the Sixers are too uncertain about James Harden’s return status or think Paul would be down to be a high-minute backup, they could join the deal and take on CP3. While this trade doesn’t fit as cleanly as the previous two, it would help the Sixers either retain or add some elite playmaking.
Even at this stage in his career, Paul is one of the smartest players in the game with enough shooting and playmaking capabilities to remain an effective player. Using Harris’ contract makes the deal work but would leave the Sixers thin on the wings. Receiving one of Washington’s young wings in exchange for a young guard in Springer, whose youth and defensive upside should make him at least slightly appealing to Washington, and some draft picks would make this trade a very solid one for Philly.
The best fit for the Sixers would be Kispert, a 24-year-old forward standing at 6-foot-7 that shot 42.4 percent from deep last season. Should the Wizards understandably not be interested in trading away Kispert, the Sixers could instead inquire about Deni Avdija, a 6-foot-9 forward that is two years younger than Kispert but has much, much less upside as a shooter and is on a contract with one fewer year left. His defense is quite solid and he does have some passing chops to tap into.
This trade proposal should not be the first one brought to the Wizards and, admittedly, would leave the Sixers short of a high-end wing, unless Kispert or Avdija take a big leap forward. What it would do for the Sixers is give them a very solid floor general and a young wing to potentially develop into a high-end player.
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