June 22, 2023
It's essentially trade season across the sports world, with MLB's trade deadline fast approaching on August 1, the NBA and NHL offseasons in full swing, and the NFL heading into training camp.
All four local teams could be making splashy (or marginal) moves over the next few weeks, so here at PhillyVoice we went into armchair GM mode ourselves. We came up with three trades we think each of the Phillies, Flyers, Eagles, and Sixers should strongly consider making over the next few weeks.
Today, we'll lay out scenarios for the Sixers trying to get rid of a certain combo forward ahead of the NBA Draft...
The Sixers get: C Richaun Holmes, SG Kevin Huerter
The Kings get: F Tobias Harris
There has never been a more Sacramento Kings player in NBA history than Harris. He's bounced all around the league and it's a wonder he's never suited up for them. This trade rectifies that and does the will of the basketball gods.
With Harrison Barnes hitting free agency, Sacramento has a hole at the four, especially with a guard-heavy roster that features De'Aaron Fox, Malik Monk and Davion Mitchell. Harris can slide right in there, average his meaningly 21 points per night and get sent packing in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.
As for the Sixers' side of things, they reunited Joel Embiid with Holmes, the best backup big man the MVP center has ever had. Second-unit lineups featuring Holmes as a rim-runner with James Harden and Tyrese Maxey should make for easy buckets.
Huerter is a sharpshooter who, infamously, destroyed the Sixers when he was with the Hawks in the 2021 playoffs. He shot over 40 percent from three on nearly seven attempts per game this past season.
The Sixers get: F Robert Covington, SG Nic Batum, G Eric Gordon
The Clippers get: F Tobias Harris, SG Furkan Korkmaz
Despite having all-world players in Kawhi Leonard and Paul George on the roster, Los Angeles is in need of a bit of a shakeup. Harris played his best ball ever with the Clippers and this is a soft reset of sorts with an exchange of expiring deals.
When it comes to the Sixers, do you really think Daryl Morey is going to pass up a chance to get one of his former Rockets players in Gordon? Morey also signed Covington as an undrafted free agent in Houston in 2013 and traded for him in 2020. New head coach Nick Nurse could get creative with strong defensive lineups with forwards Covington and P.J. Tucker who, in theory, should be shooting threats from the corners.
The Sixers get: SG Buddy Hield, PG T.J. McConnell
The Pacers get: F Tobias Harris
Indiana is another destination that feels ripe for a player like Harris, a regular season guy who can average a cool 20 points while contributing very little to true winning basketball. The way I mentioned Harris being fated to play for the Kings, the same has been true for a while of Hield and the Sixers, too. The Sixers should be trying to replicate the dribble-drive-handoff between Embiid and Hield that worked so well in years prior with Embiid and JJ Redick.
Sixers fans also would love to see McConnell grab a few more inbound steals as well.
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