The 76ers are 6-8 right now. They’re doing a lot better than people expected. This team is pretty unpredictable; they can beat the Miami Heat one night, and lose to the Pelicans by 40 the next night. They’re playing well overall, but they’re not going to keep this up all season, and even if they did, they still wouldn’t be good enough to go deep into the playoffs. They aren’t a good team, but I don’t think that they’re bad enough to get the first pick in the NBA Draft, and that’s what they’re after right now. A way that they could make the team lose now and help their future would be to make some trades.
1. Spencer Hawes
Spencer Hawes is playing really well this season. He is averaging 16.8 points, 10.3 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks per game. That’s very good. His trade value has gone up quite a bit this season. He is playing to his full potential, and I think it’s safe to say that this is his ceiling. The 76ers have a center on the bench who has a higher ceiling, and that player is Nerlens Noel. Noel is injured and he will not play this season, so Hawes will be the starter this season, but next season, unless the 76ers trade Hawes or Noel, the 76ers will have both Spencer Hawes and Nerlens Noel. One of those two players would have to sit on the bench, and the thought of that makes me cringe. Sitting Hawes would be silly, because he’s a pretty good player. Sitting Noel would also be silly, because sitting on the bench is not going to help him adjust to the NBA. Having both of these players would be pointless, so the 76ers should trade one of them, and I think it makes more sense to trade Hawes, because Noel is younger and he has a higher potential.
2. Evan Turner
{Photo Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports]
Evan Turner is having a stellar season so far. He is averaging 21.7 points, 3.7 assists, and 6.6 rebounds per game. Turner has increased his trade value with great play this season. The 76ers could easily get a late first round pick for Turner, and this draft class is loaded with great players, so any first round pick is great. If the 76ers traded Evan Turner then they could move Thaddeus Young to small forward, Spencer Hawes to power forward, and Nerlens Noel to center next season. They would also have Michael Carter-Williams at point guard, and probably whoever it is that they draft at shooting guard. This would be a very big, young lineup and I like that. They would be amazing at rebounding. Trading Evan Turner makes so much sense for the 76ers right now.
3. Thaddeus Young
Thaddeus Young is doing well this season. He is averaging 14.3 points and 6.5 rebounds per game. The best thing about Thaddeus Young is that he is always hustling; you will never find a player that hustles more than Young, and teams love that about him. If the 76ers traded Thaddeus Young, then they could move Spencer Hawes to power forward and have Nerlens Noel at center next season. They could get a good draft pick for him, and his absence would cause the 76ers to lose a lot more games this season, and I think that without him they would get a top three, if not first overall pick in the NBA Draft. His trade value is high, and trading him would be a really good thing for the Philadelphia 76ers right now.
You probably noticed something while reading this; all slides have a common theme, and that is finding a way to get Nerlens Noel into the lineup next season. That is something that the 76ers need to do, because he is their future, and he needs to get as much playing time as possible.
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