4 Best players the 76ers could realistically trade for on NBA Draft day
The Philadelphia 76ers are expected to be an active bunch in the upcoming 2024 NBA Draft. After all, the franchise owns the 16th overall pick, and by all odds, they should be able to find an NBA-ready contributor at that spot. However, all signs point to the front office actively shopping their own pick for a veteran commodity to boost their winning cause.
Luckily for them, the impending rookie pool is heavily touted as a weaker one, potentially forcing more teams to shop their respective selections. There are also teams who would gladly take the 76ers’ own pick, which is not a shabby one. Here are the four best players whom Philly could realistically trade for on draft day.
4. Dorian Finney-Smith is the perfect 3-and-D forward the 76ers need
Philly is facing a virtually empty barren in its forward rotation, as the likes of Nic Batum, Tobias Harris, Kelly Oubre Jr., Robert Covington, and KJ Martin are all deemed legitimate flight risks in free agency. Even if the squad manages to get a facelift with a star acquisition, finding playable forwars is a must, especially given Nick Nurse’s preferred player archetypes.
Help could be on its way though come draft day in the form of Dorian Finney-Smith, a popular trade candidate who profiles as a perfect plug-and-play piece for the 76ers. The 31-year-old should have a lot of suitors, and despite Brooklyn’s former hesitation with flipping the veteran, it’s almost irresponsible for them to decline a first-rounder for his services ath this juncture.
Finney-Smith has been one of the better all-around defenders in the NBA for quite a while now, a billing he’s continued to live up to despite playing for a pretty mediocre and identity-less Nets team. The 76ers would love to have him in the fold, as he’s essentially the ideal role player to plug next to their stars as a league-average volume shooter who can defend multiple positions and absorb a lot of beating as a mobile anchor.
3. Can Philadelphia get Jordan Clarkson on a discount?
Utah may not be willing to trade their best player despite having peak value at present, but that doesn’t preclude them from seeking deals for their other high-end role players. In fact, that should be their modus operandi at this point given their stubborn refusal to start from ground zero and their seeming desire to simply continue building around Lauri Markkanen.
One player they could easily extract a first-round pick from is Jordan Clarkson, who is signed to a very reasonable deal over the next two seasons. The former Sixth Man of the Year just three years ago saw his season cut short due to injuries, but he still managed to turn in a very productive season as the Jazz’s nominal leader off the bench.
For the cost of absorbing Clarkson’s salary amounting to just a hair above $14 million, dangling a first-rounder seems reasonable for the 76ers, especially in account of the fact that they had one of the least scoring bench units this season. While his efficiency took a hit this season, the 10-year veteran is still a bona fide three-level scorer who can easily get hot while also capably functioning as a secondary table-setter.
2. Keldon Johnson could be the odd man out for future-oriented San Antonio
Speaking of teams prepping for the future, the San Antonio Spurs arguably have the highest ceiling among all teams in the NBA thanks to Victor Wembanyama. While they could definitely try to accelerate their timeline by going the aggressive route this offseason, the safest bet would be for them to continue building organically through the draft. In fact, they own picks No. 4 and 8 this time around.
Nothing’s also stopping the Spurs from doubling down on their youth movement, even if that means parting ways with their relatively older players. One name to watch out for should San Antonio assume the role of seller is Keldon Johnson, the burly wing whose role and standing on the team’s core has become blurry.
The Spurs probably acknowledge that his value has waned, but a team like the 76ers could find a need for his services. Still a very capable scorer who specializes in scoring through traffic, Johnson has the rools to succeed next to more proven teammates in Philly who can help mitigate his defensive miscues and shooting inconsistencies.
1. The 76ers must trade for Alex Caruso on draft day at all costs
Arguably the prize of the draft on the trading table, Alex Caruso is widely viewed as a pretty obtainable target after a year of willful resistance from Chicago’s brass. The Bulls are now likely to start dropping the hammer on their veterans to pivot to a youth movement, and the two-time All-Defensive Team member would quickly net them some much-needed draft capital to kickstart a rebuild.
The 76ers have reportedly locked in on Caruso as their main target come draft day, and the front office could definitely lure the Bulls into biting into an offer centered on their first-round pick this year. Other win-now teams would try to one-up them, but Philadelphia has more than enough sweeteners to make the pot very tempting for Chicago.
Given the 76ers’ need for backcourt help and a boost in the perimeter defense department, no other role player fits better than Caruso. Not only would he be a tremendous addition to a team in need of players who thrive in the intangibles, but he would also stabilize a backcourt that has solely depended on Tyrese Maxey this season.
