The Championship Trade The 76ers Should Make

The Championship Trade The 76ers Should Make

Despite entering another season with a cloud of turmoil hanging over them the Philadelphia 76ers haven’t missed the beat with Joel embiid still playing at an MVP level Tyrese Maxi establishing himself as a secondary star and Nick nurse taking over coaching duties Philly has more than just survived the

Departure of James Harden the thriving Sixers already looked the part of a contender and they’ll have plenty of flexibility to get even better this summer but that doesn’t mean they should sit this trade deadline out Daryl Mory should strike while the Iron’s hot and try to finish the job this

Year it’s tempting to maintain the status quo and avoid rocking the boat when a team is rolling like embiid Sixers are as one of three teams in the league that rank top six in offense and defense why fix something that clearly isn’t broken that goes double for a team

With the tremendous flexibility Philly has this summer but I’d argue that flexibility is exactly why the Sixers should feel emboldened right now think of the flexibility it’s rare for a team this good to have this many team building options in front of them as the Harden trade left Philly with the picks

And expiring midsize salaries to trade for an impact player if myy plays his cards right targeting the right kind of player on the right kind of contract the Sixers could make a significant inseason upgrade now and still be major players in free agency they don’t have to

Jeopardize the cap space they’ve been so careful to accumulate and preserve impact player also doesn’t have to mean Allstar the player that comes to mind is Alex Caruso but he won’t come cheap the Bulls reportedly wanted multiple first round picks for him leading up to the 2023 deadline and though there’s one

Less year remaining on his phenomenally team-friendly contract today Caruso’s value might might actually be even higher now is he worth this with OG and anobi off the board Caruso is likely the best defensive player and most seamless plug-and play Star left on the trade market and it’s impossible to overstate

How advantageous his contract would be to the club that acquired him the veteran guards under team control for next season on a partially guaranteed salary of only $9.9 million which accounts for less than 7% of next year’s projected cap that’s a stunning bargain and it helps explain why multiple first

Rounders and a promising youngster might be the going rate for someone who’s never averaged even 10 points per game though DeAnthony Melton and to a lesser extent Patrick Beverly have given the Sixers a sample of what the bigger Caruso provides Caruso operates on another level as a 3 andd guard with

Some off the dribble juice he’s one of the very best on ball perimeter Defenders can guard up in size and position and he wipes out passing Lanes with the best of them he’s among maybe a handful of guards who are capable of anchoring a defense pairing him with

Embiid would give the Sixers an almost unfair foundation on that end of the court on offense Caruso’s a non-nonsense fit who understands his role with the ability to play off a lead guard like Maxi or prop up bench lineups he can put the ball on the floor and get to the rim

But his three-point shooting is what tips the scales among 163 qualified Shooters this season Caruso’s three-point percentage ranks 23rd which only becomes more impressive when you consider that he’s been uncharacteristically cold from the corners Caruso basically does everything Melton does at least a little better and those seemingly incremental upgrades

Make a big difference when the margins between Victory and agonizing defeat shrink in the playoffs he’d push Melton to the bench for a loaded Sixers team this year while replacing the pending free agent next season it’s all coming together it’s all coming together this is it as presently constructed the

Sixers don’t need to acquire another star to win the franchise’s first championship since 1983 adding a player of Caruso’s two-way caliber without sacrificing any significant rotation players could be enough to finally put embiid’s team over the top the fat Caruso’s under contract for next season rather than just a rental makes it an

Even sweeter deal in theory the Sixers could trade for Caruso now still sign a m max level star and add quality depth during the offseason and then resign Maxi using bird rights cementing a contending level core through the remainder of embiid’s prime even if the prospect of paying three max stars is

Untenable in the modern tax world and the Sixers merely want to use their 2024 cap space to build the best possible Supporting Cast of role players around embiid and Maxi what better way to start than with a 3 andd stud on one of the League’s biggest bargain contracts

That’s a great idea great plan teams in the thick of their Championship Windows should never take anything for granted even the best laid offseason plans can go aride you could have great intentions on June 30th and wake up with nothing to show for it on July 1st with your top

Targets all off the board save for maybe Bull’s teammate Demar D rozan You could argue Caruso’s better than any free agent who’s likely to actually change teams this summer are the Sixers who haven’t been to a Conference Final since 2001 and would still be underdogs against Boston and Milwaukee okay with

The status quo is indeed just months ago some were asking whether another postseason flameout could push the big man to ask for a trade things move quickly in the NBA Mory Sixers can’t afford to get complacent there’s at least one more move for them to make go get it

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With Joel Embiid still playing at an MVP level, Tyrese Maxey establishing himself as a secondary star, and Nick Nurse taking over coaching duties, Philly has more than just survived the departure of James Harden.

The thriving Sixers already look the part of a contender, and they’ll have plenty of flexibility to get even better this summer, but that doesn’t mean they should sit this trade deadline out. Daryl Morey should strike while the iron’s hot and try to finish the job this year.

Written & Narrated by: Joseph Casciaro (@JosephCasciaro | Twitter)
Produced & Edited by: Andrew Bartlett (@andrewnsb | Instagram)
Thumbnail Design by: Justin Shipley (@shipleysportstudio | Instagram)

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