Ranking Potential Trade Targets for the Sixers

By Kevin McCormick, Sports Talk Philly Editor

It is no secret that the Sixers are going to be diving into the trade market this year. After a failed experiment of roster construction this year, the Sixers find themselves (yet again) preparing for another roster makeover.

There have been multiple names that the Sixers have been linked to in trade interest. Here is a ranking of some potential players the team could acquire via trade this offseason.

4. Chris Paul, Oklahoma City Thunder 

Chris Paul is arguably going to be the biggest name in the trade market this season. After an All-Star campaign in OKC this year, contenders are going to be calling about acquiring him.

Adding a guy like Paul is an extremely high-risk high-reward situation. If Paul can keep up his level of play he can be a huge boost, but how long can he play before he starts to lose a step? At 34 years old that decline could come at any moment.

Paul’s deal is another huge component of this high risk. Whatever team acquires him will most likely be stuck with him through the final two years of his deal. He is owed 41 and 44 million over the next two seasons, leaving very little money to fill out the rest of the roster.

Bringing in a player the caliber of Chris Paul would be a huge move both on and off the floor. This move is a huge gamble because at his age there is no certainty that the Sixers will get the return on investment on what they will have to give up to acquire him.

3. Terry Rozier, Charlotte Hornets 

Terry Rozier and Chris Paul could realistically go either way because they bring a lot of the same skills, but Rozier might have a slight edge. Rozier’s fit with the Sixers is slightly better than Paul’s which is why he gets the nod.

For starters, at 26 years old Rozier is in the perfect age range to fit the timeline of the rest of the Sixers’ core. Also, at 18.9 million dollars Rozier is a much softer hit on the team’s cap space than Paul would be.

There is also an argument that Rozier might be a better fit on the floor as well. Rozier is the perfect prototype of combo guard to complement Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid. He is a guy who can run the pick-and-roll and can spot up on the outside. At 45.7% from three on catch and shoot attempts Rozier can be a reliable option on the perimeter.

The Sixers need an upgrade in shot creation and ball-handling from guards. Rozier could check a lot of boxes, and is someone the team could realistically acquire.

2. Jrue Holiday, New Orleans Pelicans 

Holiday is a name that the Sixers have been tied to recently, but the chances of acquiring him might not be as great as other players on this list. With a weak free agency class this offseason multiple teams are going to be inquiring about a player of Holiday’s caliber.

His fit alongside the Sixers all-stars isn’t perfect, but adding Holiday to the Sixers would put them closer to being serious title contenders. Holiday is one of the best two-way players in the league, and the defensive ceiling of a duo of Holiday and Simmons would be very high.

Holiday is not the greatest three-point shooter in the league but shoots at a decent enough percentage to aid the offense. In terms of shot creation, ball-handling, and playmaking Holiday would be a great guard complement to Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid.

This would be a good homecoming for Holiday and the Sixers, but pulling it off is going to take a lot of luck. Realistically you aren’t getting a guy like Holiday without parting ways with one of Shake Milton or Matisse Thybulle.

1. Buddy Hield, Sacramento Kings 

Buddy Hield has been a name tied to the Sixers for a while now and for good reason, he is easily the perfect fit for what the Sixers need moving forward. Acquiring him in the offseason should be at the top of the Sixers’ list.

Hield’s game is based around the one thing the Sixers need most, three-point shooting. Last season Hield shot just under 40% from three while shooting close to ten threes a game. Having an unconscious shooter from deep is exactly what the team needs to fix its spacing issues.

Along with his fit on the court, he is a perfect fit off the court as well. Hield is 27 years old which is great for the team’s timeline. But most importantly, he is locked up for four years.

The Sixers have tried multiple times to reconstruct this roster on the fly to no avail. Turning Al Horford and assets into a guy who is a perfect fit with your stars and is locked in for multiple seasons would be an incredible move from Elton Brand.

The Sixers are very limited in what they can offer teams to acquire any of the players on this list. But acquiring any of these players could be a real step forward for the team as they look to bounce back from an unsuccessful season this year.