The Philadelphia 76ers are a team that is looking to move on from a very disappointing 2019-20 season. The team has been making changes up and down the organization starting with Doc Rivers replacing Brett Brown at head coach after the season ended.
Since then, there have been a few changes made in the front office as the team brought in a few new executives to join general manager Elton Brand in the decision-making process. Who’s to tell that the changes will stop there? Maybe the roster is next?
The Sixers have two cornerstone stars in Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid and there is a stigma out there that the two can’t win together despite some obvious success on the floor. The offense did struggle this season as the team’s big addition of Al Horford struggled to fit on the floor next to the two young stars.
Bleacher Report has come up with a new trade proposal that would send both Simmons and Horford to the New Orleans Pelicans for Jrue Holiday, JJ Redick, Lonzo Ball, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, the 13th pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, and a first-round pick in 2021.
B/R on the deal:
For Philly, Holiday, Ball and Redick would completely remodel the backcourt and provide plenty of spacing around Joel Embiid. Ball still has star potential to lift the 76ers’ ceiling, and Holiday and Redick are two of the best in the league when it comes to defense and outside shooting.
The Sixers would get to make a lottery pick this year and get one of the Lakers’ picks from New Orleans (originally acquired in the Anthony Davis trade). Getting off Horford’s contract would be a blessing, as well.
This is a deal that would make some sense on paper. The additions of Holiday and Redick–who, of course, previously played for Philadelphia–would bring needed shooting around Embiid. Holiday is also one of the top perimeter defenders in the NBA and Ball could benefit from playing under a former point guard in Rivers. A lineup of Holiday-Redick-Josh Richardson-Tobias Harris-Embiid would be a lot of fun to watch.
At the end of the day, it’s tough to justify trading one of the game’s bright stars in Simmons and the same goes for Embiid too. Moving Horford would be a blessing if Philadelphia could somehow do it, but to move either of the two young stars seems like a knee jerk reaction right now. It would serve the Sixers well to not trade either of them and see what they can do with Rivers leading the way. [lawrence-related id=38400,38394,38387]