Trade guide: What's the 76ers' process?
The Vertical Front-Office Insider Bobby Marks, a former 20-year executive with the Nets, looks at each team’s roster and trade assets, as well as examining the track record of each team’s general manager during previous trade deadlines.
Previous trade guides: The title contenders | West teams pushing for playoff spot | East teams eyeing home court | Teams that shouldn’t focus on playoffs | Rebuilding teams with limited assets
A look at three rebuilding teams that have built through the draft as the Feb. 23 trade deadline approaches.
PHILADELPHIA
Roster
Player Value Insider info
1. Joel Embiid Core
2. Dario Saric Key starter
3. Nerlens Noel Starter RFA expiring contract
4. Jahlil Okafor Starter
5. *Ersan Ilyasova Top reserve
6. *Robert Covington Top reserve 2017-18 no protection
7. *Gerald Henderson Top reserve 2017-18 $1M protection
8. Richaun Holmes Rotation 2017-18 no protection
9. * T.J. McConnell Rotation 2017-18 no protection
10. Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot Rotation/Development
11. *Sergio Rodriguez Rotation Expiring contract
12. Nik Stauskas Rotation
13. Jerryd Bayless Rotation/injured
14. Ben Simmons Development/injured
15. Chasson Randle Development 2017-18 no protection
*Started during the season but is best suited coming off the bench.
Trade assets
Almost every player on the 76ers has some value.
From center Joel Embiid to former lottery pick Jahlil Okafor, Philadelphia’s roster is filled with manageable, short-term contracts.
Add in Ben Simmons – the first overall pick last June who has not played because of injury – and the 76ers’ roster is flush with assets.
Philadelphia is also set for the near future with draft picks.
Besides their own likely pick this June, Philadelphia could also have the Lakers’ first-rounder if it falls outside the top three.
If Los Angeles retains its pick, then Philadelphia will receive the Lakers’ unprotected first in 2018.
Philadelphia also could find itself with a top pick even if it was to somehow sneak into the playoffs or positioned in the later part of the lottery.
Philadelphia (post-lottery) will have the right to swap first-round picks with Sacramento if the Kings’ pick falls within the top 10.
The swap rights are part of the conditions from the Nik Stauskas and Carl Landry salary dump that helped clear cap space for Sacramento in 2015.
Philadelphia also has the Kings’ unprotected first in 2019.
From earlier this season, Philadelphia also has a future first-round pick (protected Nos. 1-20) from Oklahoma City that was obtained in the Jerami Grant trade in which the 76ers landed Ersan Ilyasova.
Philadelphia could continue to take steps to get closer to the playoffs but add two potential lottery picks in the future without downgrading its roster.
Philadelphia also controls the draft rights to first-round pick Furkan Korkmaz, a 19-year-old shooting guard who plays in Turkey.
Don’t get fooled by success
The taste of success for young teams could lead to complacency and unrealistic expectations.
The goal for 76ers management is to temper those expectations as the trade deadline approaches.
Having suffered through the pains of a slow rebuild the past three seasons, Philadelphia has made strides to put a competitive product on the court.
76ers management needs to let the roster grow organically and then take advantage of their assets in the future, not at the Feb. 23 deadline.
GM history at the deadline
With a treasure chest of assets, Bryan Colangelo will be in his first trade deadline with Philadelphia.
Hired in the offseason, Colangelo has made three trades, including the deal to acquire Ilyasova and the future first from Oklahoma City a week into the regular season.
Colangelo’s prior tenures with Phoenix and Toronto have him well-prepared to approach the deadline.
In his seven seasons with the Raptors, Colangelo was involved in 10 out of 29 trades that took place after Jan. 1.
The most notable was Toronto acquiring Rudy Gay in January 2013 as part of a three-team trade involving Detroit and Memphis.
Post-trade deadline roster movement
The recent signing of Chasson Randle puts Philadelphia at 15 guaranteed contracts.
Philadelphia is currently $16.9 million below the salary cap and $7.5 million short of the minimum team salary floor.
Barring a trade, Philadelphia would need to waive a player in order to claim someone off waivers to get closer to the floor.
MINNESOTA
Roster
Player Value Insider info
1. Karl-Anthony Towns Franchise
2. Andrew Wiggins Core
3. Gorgui Dieng Key starter
4. Ricky Rubio Starter
5. Kris Dunn Rotation/development
6. Shabazz Muhammad Rotation RFA expiring contract
7. Cole Aldrich Rotation
8. Nemanja Bjelica Roster
9. Tyus Jones Roster/development
10. Jordan Hill Roster 2017-18 no protection
11. Brandon Rush Roster Expiring contract
12. Lance Stephenson Rotation 10-Day Contract
13. Zach LaVine Core/injured
14. Adreian Payne Roster/injured Expiring contract
15. Nikola Pekovic Roster/injured
Trade assets
Remove franchise player Karl-Anthony Towns, core pieces Andrew Wiggins and Zach LaVine, lottery pick Kris Dunn, and newly extended Gorgui Dieng, and the Timberwolves’ available trade assets shrink.
Point guard Ricky Rubio might offer the most value.
The 26-year-old, under contract through 2018-19, is on a cap-friendly deal that pays him $13.5 million, $14.2 million and $14.8 million.
Teams in need of a point guard this summer should not rely on free agency but should focus on the trade market.
Though the 2017 free-agent class features Steph Curry, Chris Paul and Kyle Lowry, they will likely remain with their current teams.
Because of the February 2015 trade to acquire Adreian Payne, Minnesota does not have a first-round pick to trade until 2022 (or two years after conditions are met).
The Hawks have the Timberwolves’ first-round pick (protected Nos. 1-14) starting in 2018. The protection will carry over to 2019 and 2020 if it is not conveyed.
Minnesota also does not have a second-round pick this June. That pick was conveyed to Phoenix in 2012 and was eventually shipped to Boston three years later as part of the Brandan Wright trade.
GM history at the deadline
Scott Layden is not a novice when it comes to the trade deadline.
Layden, hired during the offseason, has previous experience working in Utah, New York and for the past four seasons with San Antonio.
While Layden has signed free agents and extended Dieng, Minnesota has not made a trade during the current regime.
Layden, however, does not have the final say in personnel matters. That responsibility rests with president and head coach Tom Thibodeau.
It will be up to Thibodeau to trust Layden and his scouting department when it comes to evaluating the roster.
Often a head coach who has the final say in roster-related decisions lets day-to-day emotions impact which players are moved.
Post-trade deadline roster movement
The Timberwolves, with 14 guaranteed contracts, will likely see that number drop to 13.
Because it’s been one year since the last time Nikola Pekovic played, Minnesota can begin the process of having his salary removed from the cap.
If granted, the Timberwolves would have 13 guaranteed contracts and fall $24.8 million below the cap.
Minnesota is also $3.3 million below the minimum team salary floor.
That number will remain the same even if Pekovic’s salary is removed.
PHOENIX
Roster
Player Value Insider info
1. Eric Bledsoe Core
2. Devin Booker Core
3. T.J. Warren Key starter
4. Tyson Chandler Starter
5. *Marquese Chriss Top reserve/development
6. *Alex Len Top reserve RFA expiring contract
7. *Brandon Knight Top reserve
8. Jared Dudley Rotation
9. P.J. Tucker Rotation
10. Tyler Ulis Rotation
11. Leandro Barbosa Roster 2017-18 $500,000 protection
12. Ronnie Price Roster 10-day contract
13. Alan Williams Roster RFA expiring contract
14. Dragan Bender Development/injured
15. Derrick Jones Development 2017-18 no protection
*Started during the season but is best suited coming off the bench.
Trade assets
On the precipice of a playoff spot in 2013-14 and 2014-15, Phoenix has fallen on hard times because of coaching turmoil, competition in the West and a roster that duplicates at each position with former draft picks and veterans.
Now headed to the lottery for a seventh straight season, management’s patience will be tested.
While core pieces Eric Bledsoe and Devin Booker offer the most value, entertaining thoughts of moving either player would delay the Suns’ rebuild.
The value of the Suns’ roster could be with their veteran players.
The contracts of Tyson Chandler, Jared Dudley, P.J. Tucker and Leandro Barbosa feature an expiring contract (Tucker), a deal not guaranteed for next season (Barbosa) and solid veterans that could contribute to a playoff team (Chandler and Dudley).
The Suns also own all their future first- and second-round picks along with Miami’s 2018 first (protected Nos. 1-7) and a 2021 unprotected first.
GM history at the deadline
One would think Ryan McDonough would like a mulligan on his February 2015 trades.
In his fourth season, McDonough has made four deadline deals, including three on Feb. 19, 2015.
The scorecard from that eventful Thursday: Phoenix received three first-round picks – two from Miami and one from Boston – along with Brandon Knight in exchange for Goran Dragic and Isaiah Thomas.
Miami received Dragic, Thomas went to Boston and a future first-round pick from the Lakers (acquired in the Steve Nash trade) was sent to Philadelphia.
Thomas is now putting up MVP numbers, the Lakers are in the bottom of the Western Conference, and Knight is now just a rotation player.
Phoenix added another first-round pick last February, when Markieff Morris was traded to Washington.
Two of the Suns’ first-round picks were sent to Sacramento on draft night in exchange for Marquese Chriss.
Post-trade deadline roster movement
Phoenix has 14 guaranteed contracts.
Like Philadelphia and Minnesota, the Suns are also $3.8 million below the minimum team salary floor.
Phoenix also has $13.2 million in cap space.
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