Expensive Sixers Trade Targets

These are the guys that cost more than $5 million a year.

[photo: Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)]

Adam Aaronson, whose legal name is SixersAdam (@SixersAdam on Twitter), covers the Sixers for The Rights To Ricky Sanchez. He has been legally banned from covering the team in person, but that ban will be lifted in March of 2020. He is brought to you by the Official Realtor of The Process, Adam Ksebe.

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Folks, we are less than seven days away from the Trade Deadline. We’re all trying to figure out how the Sixers are going to operate, and truthfully, it’s close to impossible to tell -- because of the pressure that is on to win now but the lack of medium-sized salaries, the Sixers have difficult choices to make as to how deep into their rotation, and their collection of assets, they are willing to go. How close is this team to being the best team in the Eastern Conference? What do they need to become it? How do they stack up against the elite out west? These are just a few of the many questions Elton Brand and co. face as they head into this pivotal week.

In Normal Column this week and next, I’ll be breaking down a ton of potential targets.  In this installment, I’ll focus on the more expensive options -- since everyone likes a completely random limit, today we’ll stick to those who make at least $5 million this season. Anyone cheaper will be covered next time. 

Speaking of trade pieces: here’s me on everything the Sixers have to offer in a trade, and here’s AU on the massive pressure that is mounting.

We have a lot of names to run through. Let’s get to it.

Tier 1: Sixth Starters

An idea that has fascinated me all year is whether or not the Sixers can add a “sixth starter.” What I mean is this: between load management and injuries and rest, the Sixers experience missed games among their starting five more than the average team. So, they would obviously stand to benefit more than most teams from adding another starting-caliber player, one who could slot into the lineup and fit in seamlessly for whoever is out on a given night. With Embiid and Horford both capable of logging center minutes and Ben Simmons capable of guarding any player on planet earth, it’s pretty easy to slot guys in.

Robert Covington

Remaining Contract: three years, $36.4 million

As we’ve all known for months now, the Sixers need shot creation and ball-handling and, well, someone who can dribble. Robert Covington is none of those things. And yet it is indisputable that he would make a massive difference for this team. No, they don’t need another defensive ace, but it doesn’t matter. Covington is too good at what he does to pass up for the sake of “fit,” especially when trading for him wouldn’t inhibit the team’s ability to also acquire a creator. 

The framework of this trade would be something along the lines of Covington for Mike Scott, Zhaire Smith, potentially a minimum or near-minimum salary player like Jonah Bolden, and draft picks. The best the Sixers can offer to Minnesota is one of their promising second-rounders (Atlanta and New York) and their own 2022 first-rounder. I know that sounds like a lot to trade for someone like Covington, but allow me to make two points here as to why it’s a price I would be willing to pay:

1. Covington’s league-wide value seems sky-high right now. And if you’re reading an article on the Ricky website, you probably already know why: Cov is a great defender and efficient three-point shooter on high volume who is on one of the league’s most team-friendly contracts. The market for him is going to be in this range, and quite frankly, the Sixers very well may not have enough to top competing offers.

2. Yes, Covington is a defense-first player. And no, he does not help in the playmaking department. But that does not mean he couldn’t have a fairly noteworthy impact on this offense. Covington’s three-point percentage presents the front of a decent shooter. But the more you look into the context, the stronger his argument gets as an elite one. According to Mike Zavagno, the difficulty of Covington’s three-point attempts has never been below the 90th percentile in a season. In English: Covington has consistently been league average or better from beyond the arc while (a) taking a lot of shots and (b) taking much harder ones than most NBA players. Just imagine how much more naturally the offense of the starting unit would flow if instead of Horford doing his best as a spacer, the Sixers had Covington ready to fire, with every team knowing he will comfortably take it and make it from 30 feet out. And imagine doing that without losing any defensive versatility! 

I could go on and on about Covington for another thousand words, so I’ll stop here. I really think this is an option the Sixers should pursue aggressively.

Tomas Satoransky

Remaining Contract: three years, $30 million ($25 million guaranteed)

Sato is someone I’ve always enjoyed from afar, a guard with the size to play either position who can do a little bit of everything. Scott and Smith may be too rich of a price, but what about Scott, two minimum contracts and a good second-rounder? The Bulls have a crowded guard rotation and should be willing to move Satoransky. The Sixers lose some size and quick-trigger shooting here, but Satoransky would be such a welcome presence in the rotation that it would be worth the sacrifices.

Bogdan Bogdanovic

Remaining Contract: one year, $8.5 million (restricted free agent after this season)

One of the most widely-discussed trade targets on the market this year, Bogdanovic is the victim of a minutes crunch on the wing in Sacramento. He gets considerable playing time, but with the Kings having major financial investments made in Buddy Hield and Harrison Barnes, plus one coming up in De’Aaron Fox, it’s hard to see how they can afford Bogdanovic this summer. An impressive, versatile offensive player, Bogdanovic could be what the Sixers need right now. The two complications are as follows:

1. The Kings will ask for a lot in return for Bogdanovic, and rightfully so. I’d expect they ask for more than the hypothetical Covington package I presented earlier, and the Sixers may just not be able to go that far, even if they wanted to.

2. In order to make a move like this, the Sixers have to be confident in their ability to re-sign Bogdan in the summer. More specifically, they have to be comfortable doing so. Bogdanovic will likely command a yearly salary in the $15-$20 million range on the open market, which means the Sixers have to be prepared to either accept a massive luxury tax bill or move on from someone like Horford next summer. 

For those reasons, this one feels pretty unlikely at this stage. But Bogdanovic’s situation is worth continuing to monitor, as his skillset aligns perfectly with what the Sixers need. 

Jae Crowder

Remaining contract: one year, $7.8 million

With the Grizzlies surging toward a surprise playoff entry, Crowder is likely no longer be a  realistic target, so I won’t spend too much time here. The Grizzlies might ask for a Zhaire-based return at this juncture, which the Sixers should turn down. Crowder would help, but not enough to part with the one wild card the Sixers have left.

DJ Augustin

Remaining contract: one year,  $7.2 million

A personal favorite of mine among these targets, Augustin is someone I mentioned back in my December check-in as someone who could be a logical fit. Augustin recently suffered a knee injury that will sideline him for at least another couple of weeks, but that could play into the Sixers’ hands. With Markelle Fultz having solidified himself as the starter, Augustin missing time, Orlando being locked into the seventh or eighth seeds, and Michael Carter-Williams… actually… playing… well (???????)... I think Augustin could be attainable. 

At his salary, the Sixers could pull it off by sending three cheap players and a pick of some sort -- maybe Jonah Bolden, Shake Milton, whichever of the Trey Burke / Raul Neto tandem that Orlando wants and a valued second-rounder? With Augustin likely on his way out, this could make sense for the Magic. If they decide it does, the Sixers should pounce on the chance to add a guard who would fit wonderfully alongside Simmons. Augustin could be, to some extent, the right combination of the better qualities of both Burke and Neto.

Tier 2: High Quality Role Players

I think you get the idea here. This next group will be players who would help a lot, but not quite as much as the first set. 

E'Twaun Moore

Remaining contract: one year, $8.6 million

Moore could fit in well alongside what the Sixers already have, and the Pelicans should be willing to move him. But this is another one that may be unlikely. At his number, a trade for Moore would require the salaries of Scott a minimum contract, plus whatever draft compensation New Orleans wants. But is it really worth a slight upgrade as a spot-up shooter when you’re losing a considerable amount of size? A Moore-to-the-Sixers trade is better in theory than in practice.

Derrick Rose

Remaining contract: one year, $7.1 million

As I have made clear on several previous occasions, I wouldn’t trade anything for Derrick Rose because of his 2016 rape case that I would implore you to read about if you haven’t already.

Davis Bertans

Remaining contract: one year, $7 million

Months ago a player the Spurs felt comfortable salary-dumping, Bertans has become one of the best shooters in the league. As of this writing, Bertans has made 42.7 percent of his threes on 8.5 (!) attempts per game. That combination of efficiency and volume is nearly unparalleled. 

Everybody wants Bertans. And why wouldn’t they? The guy is an incredible shooter. But what nobody has told me yet is why the Wizards would have any interest in moving him. They will own his full bird rights, and no indication exists that there isn’t mutual interest in a long-term commitment. Because of this, it might cost the Sixers a first-rounder and more on top of Scott if they want to close a deal. I like Bertans a lot, but that may be too rich for my blood.

Nemanja Bjelica

Remaining contract: two years, $13.9 million ($7.15 million salary for next year is non-guaranteed)

I’m expecting some angry tweets about this one. And you know what? That’s okay. Some wounds take a long time to heal.

Bjelica is without question a considerable upgrade from Scott as a stretch four. Among all NBA players, only four match Bjelica’s points, rebounds, assists and steals on a per-possession basis: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Luka Doncic, Nikola Jokic, and Bam Adebayo. I’m typically not a “type arbitrary statistical thresholds into Basketball Reference and hope it spits out something that seems good” kind of guy, but in addition to being a terrific shooter, Bjelica has developed a well-rounded game. The question is how much the Kings will need to downgrade from him to Scott. I certainly would not trade a first-round pick for Bjelica, and probably not one of the prized second-rounders either. But maybe two lesser-valued ones? I could be convinced. 

Tier 3: Middling Role Players

You know the drill. These are worth taking a look at, but a step below the group before it:

Langston Galloway

Remaining contract: one year, $7.3 million

Like Moore, Galloway’s number makes this a bit tough for someone who does not fill an essential need. If the Sixers don’t want to trade Scott in a move like this that they may see as linear, Galloway could be had for three of the Neto / Burke / Milton / Bolden / O’Quinn group. As you can probably tell, this is another one that is unlikely.

Ish Smith

Remaining contract: two years, $12 million

How fun would this be?! Filling in for the injured John Wall, our old friend Ish has done the job one would expect: he helps push the pace for one of the most high-octane offenses in the league and scores at a decent clip but with middling efficiency. Ish has had the best three-point shooting year of his career in both volume and efficiency, though that isn’t saying much. He’s an awkward fit with some of this roster, yes, but as a backup point guard who can score in the half-court, it isn't crazy to think he could help this team a decent bit.

Tier 4: I guess it’s possible, but don’t trade for any of these guys

You get the message here.

Wayne Ellington

Remaining contract: two years, $16 million (only $1 million guaranteed next season)

Ellington is a great shooter, specifically as someone who can do it off movement, which is something the Sixers could really use. They have recently dusted off old portions of the JJ Redick pages of the playbook for Furkan Korkmaz, but they could use all of it with Ellington. However, his $8 million salary this season makes it impossible to construct a trade that makes the Sixers better. Moving on…

Jabari Parker

Remaining contract: two years, $13 million ($6.5 million player option for next season)

Parker’s 15 points per game may be intriguing for a team that needs a scoring punch. And while it is on a terrible team, Parker has scored the ball efficiently this season, to his credit. He’s had a nice bounce-back in Atlanta. But after all of the years of him being a traffic cone on defense, I just can’t sell myself on him being a contributor deep into the playoffs.

DeMarre Carroll

Remaining contract: Three years, $20.6 million ($14.9 million guaranteed)

Carroll has a solid reputation as a multi-positional 3&D wing and is an easily attainable salary. And after completely falling out of San Antonio’s rotation early in the year, he should not cost much. But even when you just look at his game log, it’s staggering. Carroll has not played more than 12 minutes in a game since NOVEMBER. If the Spurs are that low on him so soon after giving him a multiyear contract, I’ll pass.

Marco Belinelli

Remaining contract: one year, $5.8 million

Belinelli is the affordable version of Ellington: someone who the Sixers can open up more of their motion offense for and would add another layer to the team. But, as we know, he will get obliterated in the playoffs by any team who chooses to attack him. If all it costs is Jonah Bolden and another minimum contract, maybe. But I wouldn’t have much interest.

Kris Dunn

Remaining contract: one year, $5.3 million

Now THIS would be on brand for the Sixers. Dunn is brutal offensively -- the shot has never come along, and truthfully neither has any other part of his game on that end of the floor. However, he has been outstanding defensively, one of the league’s best guard defenders this season. Do the Sixers need another high-caliber defender, especially at the expense of offense? No. Would it be funny as hell if they doubled down regardless? Yes.

That’s it for the most expensive candidates. Next week, we’ll have an even longer list of the guys who make less than $5 million. Until then...