According to NBA Insider Adrian Wojnarowski, the Philadelphia 76ers have acquired guard Nik Stauskas, along with expiring contracts of big men Jason Thompson and Carl Landry.
Sacramento is trading Jason Thompson and Carl Landry as part of a salary dump to the Philadelphia 76ers, league sources tell Yahoo Sports.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) July 2, 2015
Zach Lowe, staff writer for Grantland, added the following caveat to this already interesting trade, shortly after the original report from Wojnarowski:
Sixers will receive a protected 1st-round pick from the Kings, and swap rights w/ Sacto in the 1st round of two other drafts, sources say.
— Zach Lowe (@ZachLowe_NBA) July 2, 2015
In return, the Sixers will send the rights to overseas players to the Kings.
Most fans worried that European star Dario Saric would be one of the players included, but the following tweet that came later by Lowe brought ease to the Sixers' faithful:
Saric is not in the Kings-Sixers deal, sources say. Philly receives top-10 protected SAC pick 2 years after SAC's obligation to CHI expires
— Zach Lowe (@ZachLowe_NBA) July 2, 2015
According to ESPN's Pablo S. Torre, the foreign players reportedly being dealt by the Sixers are Arturas Gudaitis and Luka Mitrovic, who were drafted 47th and 60th in last week's draft.
League source confirms the #sixers get the Kings 2018 1st round pick (at earliest) and right to swap 1st rd pick with Kings in 2016 + 2017.
— Derek Bodner (@DerekBodnerNBA) July 2, 2015
Stauskas, 21, was the eighth overall pick in last year's NBA draft. In 73 games this past season, he averaged 15.4 minutes, 4.4 points, 2.1 rebounds and 0.9 assists.
The Canadian-native was long-linked to the Sixers, with rumors such as trading forward/center Nerlens Noel at the trade deadline to acquire him.
CBS Sports’ R.J. White wrote the following in a February 17, 2015 article:
The team reportedly likes guard Nik Stauskas, who the Kings have shown a willingness to deal before the deadline. It’s possible general manager Sam Hinkie could consider a deal swapping Nerlens Noel for Stauskas and a pick, per the report, as the No. 8 pick in 2014 would provide perimeter shooting and has one more year on his deal than Noel.
Thompson, 28, was born in Mount Laurel, New Jersey. Over seven seasons, dating back to the 2008-2009 campaign, he is a career .497 shooter with 26.5 minutes, 9.4 points, and 6.9 rebounds per game.
Landry, 31, made the NBA All-Rookie Second Team back in 2008. This past season with the Kings, in 68 games and 13 starts, Landry averaged 16.8 minutes, seven points, and 3.8 rebounds per game.
This move of clearing cap space will help aid Sacramento's pursuit of free agents Rajon Rondo and Wes Matthews, according to Wojnarowski. Longtime Warrior guard Monta Ellis is also reportedly being targeted by the Kings.
Acquiring Stauskas is huge for general manager Sam Hinkie and the Sixers, as it gives them a front-court, young asset for Brett Brown to work with this upcoming season. If Joel Embiid is healthy, we could be seeing a starting lineup which features Stauskas and Embiid, along with Jahlil Okafor, Noel, and a point-guard by committee.
Matt Rappa (@mattrappa) is a contributor to Sixerdelphia.com.
