Trade candidates for the Sixers following the James Harden trade
The James Harden trade saga has ended precisely four months since he opted in and requested a trade. Coincidentally, this is also the same time of year he was traded from Oklahoma City to Houston 11 years ago. He’s now been moved so many times, the first trade can’t just be referred to as “The Harden trade” anymore.
The Sixers are now projected to generate $56 million in 2024 cap space after offloading PJ Tucker‘s $11 million for next season. This projection factors in them renouncing all cap holds except for Tyrese Maxey’s $13 million hold. This would allow them to spend $56 million and then go over the cap to re-sign Maxey for up to the maximum. They could also keep De’Anthony Melton’s $15.2 million hold and still have $42 million in room.
While the cap space route sounds promising, it is currently a backup plan. The Sixers will do everything they can to improve the roster now and maximize their title odds for Joel Embiid every season, including this one. Expect them to pursue players that complement the roster and fit long-term between now and the trade deadline. Taking care of their business now could also be more advantageous for team building.
For example, the Sixers would need to renounce Tobias Harris’ Bird rights to utilize cap space next summer. But if they acquire players they desire primarily using expiring contracts of players they don’t plan on re-signing, that would negate the need for cap space. They could then re-sign such players with Bird rights like Harris and potentially pursue others with the non-taxpayer mid-level exception.
They can now offer up to three first-round picks, four second-round picks, and three first-round pick swaps in trades. According to Wojnarowski, the Sixers believe they have enough assets to offer a package comparable to what the Celtics traded for Jrue Holiday. That makes sense considering Holiday was traded for two first-round picks and Robert Williams III, who has the value of at least one first-round pick.
We’re only a week into the regular season and it’s far too early to tell which players will become available for trade. The Sixers should be able to match salaries for just about any player with their several large expiring contracts. Here are some players that could get linked to them in the coming months.
Zach LaVine
2023-24 Salary: $40,064,220
Harden was no longer in the Sixers’ long-term plans partly because they need to upgrade their frontcourt and wing depth. It doesn’t make sense to dedicate such a large percentage of their cap to both Harden and Maxey, a backcourt with major defensive flaws in the playoffs. Zach LaVine may not be the ideal target for the Sixers, but he might be one of the best individual players they could pursue that becomes available.
It sounds like the Bulls have been listening to offers for him and could take them more seriously if they fail to reach expectations again. The Sixers should have more than enough draft equity to make a viable trade package for LaVine, and can acquire him straight up for Harris. They could even have enough assets and matching salaries to potentially acquire other Bulls veterans in the same deal, such as Alex Caruso.
Pascal Siakam
2023-24 Salary: $37,893,408
Pascal Siakam was in trade rumors all summer long and was most notably linked to the Hawks. No trade materialized and the Raptors instead made a push at acquiring Damian Lillard to round out their roster. They’re now starting the regular season with the same group from last season but with a new head coach and a major downgrade at point guard.
It’s still early, but the outlook for the Raptors is not great after going on a 1-3 start to the season. Their offense has gone as poorly as many predicted as they currently rank dead last in offensive rating. The longer their struggles continue, the louder the trade rumors on Siakam and others Raptors veterans will circulate. The Sixers could sign him outright in free agency next summer, and he has familiarity in Philadelphia with head coach Nick Nurse and fellow Cameroonian Joel Embiid.
DeMar DeRozan
2023-24 Salary: $28,600,000
DeMar DeRozan is another Bulls veteran who could become a trade candidate this season. He is currently in extension talks with the Bulls but both sides are reportedly far apart. If they cannot come to an agreement, he could be a sensible trade candidate for the Sixers if they’re willing to pay him what he commands.
DeRozan’s $28.6 million salary is simple for the Sixers to match on its own with a combination of the expiring contract they got from the Clippers. In fact, they have enough expirings to acquire both DeRozan and LaVine while being able to duck the luxury tax. However, it’s unclear if all the tradeable pieces from the Sixers draft chest will be enough value to acquire both players.
Jerami Grant
2023-24 Salary: $27,586,207
Jerami Grant is in the first year of a five-year, $160 million contract he signed with the Blazers this offseason. Damian Lillard requested a trade from Portland the day after Grant came to terms with the team, immediately putting their long-term fit together into question with a rebuild looming. A Grant trade now seems inevitable now that they’re projected to be bottom dwellers for the foreseeable future.
Grant wouldn’t require a significant amount of draft capital to be acquired. The same could be said for Kyle Kuzma, who recently signed a long-term deal with the Wizards, and Bojan Bogdanovic of the Pistons. The Sixers might be better off re-signing Harris to a team-friendly amount, but such players could be worth considering if the price is right.
Dillon Brooks
2023-24 Salary: $22,627,671
The Rockets signed Dillon Brooks along with Fred VanVleet in hopes of improving their defense which ranked 29th in the league last season. So far it hasn’t improved much, but there’s still time for head coach Ime Udoka to help lead the group raise it closer to average. They’re currently off to a rough 0-3 start, and their progress will be a situation worth monitoring.
If the Rockets are unable to reach expectation as we get closer to the trade deadline, that could spark some changes to the roster. They’ll likely first look to see how they could improve the roster with a package of draft picks and expiring contracts. But if things get uglier than they hoped, perhaps that could put their recently signed veterans on the trade market. Brooks would be a great fit on the Sixers, who could use an All-Defensive perimeter defender like him.
De'Andre Hunter
2023-24 Salary: $20,089,286
De’Andre Hunter’s future in Atlanta appears shaky after they included him in trade discussions this offseason with the Raptors, Pistons, Mavericks, and Pacers. The Hawks are perpetually in a tax crunch after offloading veterans like John Collins and Kevin Huerter to make room for other players due for raises. Hunter could be the odd man out next, especially if they re-sign Saddiq Bey to a lucrative deal next summer. He’s off to a good start this season and could be a good fallback option for the Sixers if they can’t get anyone better.
OG Anunoby
2023-24 Salary: $18,642,857
OG Anunoby would immediately become one of the most sought-after players if he became available for trade. As mentioned earlier, the Raptors’ performance this season could dictate their long-term direction. It might not make sense to re-sign both Anunoby and Siakam for what they’ll command and go over the tax if the team has another season treading .500 and barely making the play-in Tournament.
Anunoby is currently extension-eligible but is limited to four years, $116.9 million, which would give him an annual salary of $29.2 million. He could earn more than that on the open market thanks to his theoretical fit on just about any team. The Sixers could sign him outright, but there’s a strong chance that he will need to be acquired via trade since there should be plenty of the teams projected to be over the cap that will pursue him.
