The Philadelphia 76ers are few steps away from fully harvesting the fruits of Sam Hinkie’s efforts. While there’s no doubt trusting the process all the way has put the Sixers in a position to add yet another young cornerstone with their third overall pick, they could speed up their growth if Jerry and Bryan Colangelo are daring enough to explore the potentials of the trade market.
NBA writer Joe Giglio of NJ.com believes the Sixers can upgrade their roster for next season in a dramatic way by exploring a trade with the New York Knicks for budding star Kristaps Porzingis.
The trade proposal is a bit crazy considering Porzingis’ value for the Knicks organization, but Giglio really thinks the Sixers have the assets to pull off a landscape-altering blockbuster deal.
Porzingis blockbuster trade
Knicks president phil jackson has already resigned from the idea that they will get a competitive package by trading an aging Carmelo Anthony. The eighth overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft gives the team the opportunity to get a nice young talent to groom, but it won’t net them top-tier young stars like Lonzo Ball or Markelle Fultz. Worse, the Knicks won’t have much money to spend ($19 million) for a marquee player this free agency season.
According to Giglio, the only way for Phil Jackson to right the ship is to trade Porzingis and push the button for a full rebuild.
The Sixers happen to be a nice trade partner for the Knicks because of their ability to offer a bloat-load of assets for the Latvian hoops star.
“Enter Philadelphia, with assets like, say, Rookie of the Year finalist Dario Saric, two-way player Robert Covington, the third overall pick and unprotected first-round picks from the Los Angeles Lakers (2018) and Sacramento Kings (2019) to use in trade talks,” Giglio opines.
The start of the Big 3 era
The deal might look a bit lopsided in favor of the Knicks, but Giglio believes it was a small price to pay compared to the dividends the Sixers organization will get long term. If the Sixers somehow are able to bring in Porzingis on board, it would mark the start of the Big 3 era featuring the three-headed monsters Porzingis, Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons.
The NJ.com basketball pundit stressed that he has no doubt the trio will make wonderful music together because each player complements the other’s playing style with Simmons as the ball distributor, Porzingis as the floor-stretcher, and Embiid as a post-up operator.
As for the Knicks, the assets they received from trading a rebelling Porzingis would be enough to begin a full rebuild, more so if they find a way to unload Anthony’s contract ($30MM). By then, Phil Jackson will have the assets and cap space to plant the seeds for the new era of Knicks basketball. It is a win-win move for both teams, according to Giglio.
