The Philadelphia 76ers are one of the teams that are expected to make major moves before the 2022 NBA trade deadline. The Sixers may be slowly finding their way back to the top of the Eastern Conference, but they obviously need more help around Joel Embiid to have a realistic chance of reaching the NBA Finals and capturing the Larry O’Brien Trophy in the 2021-22 NBA season. As of now, they are still hoping that they could trade Ben Simmons for the likes of Damian Lillard and Bradley Beal.
However, if Lillard and Beal won’t be available, the Sixers are better off exploring other options on the trade market.
Proposed-Three Way Blockbuster Involving Ben Simmons
Recently, Bobby Marks and Kevin Pelton of ESPN discussed three realistic trade options for the Sixers involving Ben Simmons. These included a hypothetical deal that would send Sabonis to the City of Brotherly Love. For the deal to work, both analysts agreed that the Pacers and the Sixers would need to find a third team.
Marks suggested that the Pacers and the Sixers could engage in a three-team deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers. In the proposed trade scenario, the Sixers would get Sabonis, Collin Sexton, and Cedi Osman, the Pacers would receive Simmons, and the Cavaliers would obtain Caris LeVert.
Sixers Get Two Starters & Solid Bench Player For Ben Simmons
The proposed three-team blockbuster trade with the Cavaliers and the Pacers would undeniably be worth exploring for the Sixers. Though none of them are legitimate superstars, swapping Simmons for Sabonis, Sexton, and Osman would strengthen the Sixers’ chances of making a deep playoff run in the 2021-22 NBA season.
Sabonis and Sexton would give the Sixers two starting-caliber players. Sabonis could serve as Embiid’s frontcourt partner or primary backup, while Sexton could fill the hole left by Simmons in the Sixers’ backcourt. Osman would provide the Sixers a reliable bench scorer who could step up in the starting lineup when one of their starters needs to rest or suffers an injury.
Domantas Sabonis & Collin Sexton's Availability Via Trade
Between the two starters that the Sixers could get in the potential three-team trade, Sabonis is the only one who is currently available on the trade market. With the Pacers struggling in the 2021-22 NBA season, Shams Charania and Bob Kravitz of The Athletic reported that they are planning to undergo a "substantial rebuild" and have started listening to offers for their veterans, including Sabonis.
However, that doesn’t mean that the Cavaliers won’t entertain suitors for Sexton. Though Sexton is yet to become officially available on the trading block, rumors have been swirling around him since the 2021 NBA offseason. If the Cavaliers don’t have any plan of giving him a huge payday, it would be best for them to trade Sexton now than risk losing him in the 2022 NBA free agency without getting anything in return.
Sixers' Plan B
If they don’t think that the Sabonis-Embiid pairing would work and don’t want to handle Sexton’s free agency, Marks suggested another three-team blockbuster trade for the Sixers. The Sixers and the Pacers are still involved but instead of the Cavaliers, the Sacramento Kings would serve as the third team.
"The other thought is finding a third team such as the Sacramento Kings for Sabonis. The framework of Simmons to Indiana, Sabonis and LeVert to Sacramento and De’Aaron Fox to the 76ers works," Marks said.
]]>The Inquisitr
