Another day, another trade suggestion that involves the Philadelphia 76ers and their awkward roster. The Sixers are an easy target to throw some wild and crazy trade ideas out there between the notion that Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons don’t fit to the wrong pieces surrounding them, they are always involved in some trade hypotheticals.
After first coming after Simmons on Monday night, the attention has now turned to Embiid. Bleacher Report has another new trade suggestion that has the Sixers sending Embiid to the Brooklyn Nets for Spencer Dinwiddie, Caris LeVert, Jarrett Allen, and draft picks.
B/R:
Brooklyn Nets receive: Joel Embiid
Philadelphia 76ers receive: Spencer Dinwiddie, Caris LeVert, Jarrett Allen, 2020 first-round pick (via PHI), 2021 second-round pick (via ATL), 2022 first-round pick (top-three protected)
“League execs think that if the Sixers do explore a trade, Embiid is more likely to be moved—health being the determining factor in building around Simmons,” ESPN’s Tim Bontemps reported.
Considering the Nets just maxed out Kevin Durant less than a month after he ruptured his Achilles, they might be willing to roll the dice on Embiid staying upright. They’d do so knowing that if he did, they would have three of the best five players in the conference (along with Kyrie Irving) and the Association’s top trio.
The Nets are in the market for a third star, per ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, and few shine brighter than a healthy Embiid. He’s only the second player ever with career averages of 23 points, 11 rebounds, three assists and 1.5 blocks. His Sixers teams have been 9.7 points better per 100 possessions with him than without. If he’s doing that while cramped for space, imagine what he’d do with the gravitational forces of Durant and Irving.
Again, the Sixers do not have a Simmons-Embiid problem. The problem is the pieces surrounding their star duo. In the 2017-18 season, the pairing had a 113.3 offensive rating and that number was then 112.8 in 2018-19. That number has dropped to 104.7 in 2019-20 as the team has altered their supporting cast. That’s what happens when you replace JJ Redick and Jimmy Butler with Josh Richardson and Al Horford.
For the Sixers side of this trade, they would be focused on building around Simmons’ speed and willingness to push the ball in transition. Dinwiddie and LeVert are legitimate starters in this league who would be able to play fast with Simmons, as would a rim running big like Allen, but they would lose out on the elite defensive acumen of Embiid.
B/R adds:
Spencer Dinwiddie and Caris LeVert can help with shot-creation. Jarrett Allen is a high-floor rim-runner with the chance to become more. All three can motor in the open court, so Simmons can play as fast as he wants. Philly establishes a clearer offensive identity than perhaps it has ever had during Brett Brown’s tenure, and the Sixers’ second team transforms from liability to strength.
In this case, the Sixers would be catering more to Simmons’ strengths and focus more on making him like Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo, which is an idea that has been floated out there. Philadelphia is not in a position at the moment to move a guy like either Embiid or Simmons at the moment, but as mentioned before, the hypotheticals are fun to look at. [lawrence-related id=29786,29776,29758]