A mock trade for Sixers to acquire Jrue Holiday from Trail Blazers
The Philadelphia 76ers, and the rest of the NBA, will be preparing for the 2023-24 season very soon as training camp is set to begin on Oct. 3. The Sixers are expected to remain contenders in the East due to the fact that they are led by reigning MVP big man Joel Embiid.
The Sixers also have to deal with the James Harden situation. The anticipation of “Will he or won’t he show up to training camp?” will be answered soon enough. While Harden wants out, there is a guard who is now available.
That would be Jrue Holiday after the Portland Trail Blazers acquired him from the Milwaukee Bucks in the big Damian Lillard deal. The Sixers have an interest in Holiday and there is a path to bring him in. Capologist Yossi Gozlan has helped Sixers Wire with a mock trade to get Holiday to Philly.
The fake trade proposal
Sixers get: Jrue Holiday
Clippers get: James Harden
Trail Blazers get: Marcus Morris, Norman Powell, 2028 first round pick (via the Clippers), 2029 first-round pick (via the Sixers)
Why the Trail Blazers do this deal
The big get here for Portland is obviously the picks. That will help the rebuild in the future as they can either use those picks to get more talent or they can flip them in a future trade. Morris is on an expiring contract and he can be moved at the deadline while Powell can be a productive player next to young guards Scoot Henderson and Anfernee Simons.
Why the Sixers do this deal
It’s obvious that Harden wants nothing to do with the organization. He made that clear all summer. If they can flip him in order to get Holiday who is an elite defender, an able playmaker, and an All-Star, it would be a huge get for the Sixers. His game also translates to the playoffs which is an attractive asset for a team that has struggled in the postseason in recent years.
Why the Clippers do this deal
The Clippers want Harden, but they haven’t been willing to match Philadelphia’s asking price. In this deal, they get Harden while being able to keep Terance Mann. They would have to give up Powell to make the money work, but offloading Morris in this deal would be helpful for them as well. On the flip side, the Clippers could acquire Holiday instead of Harden which is an option that has been explored on their end.
