3 players Philadelphia 76ers should trade for in the 2021 NBA offseason
The Philadelphia 76ers need to bring in major changes if they are to have a healthy chance of making a deep run in the playoffs next season.
The Sixers topped the Eastern Conference standings in the 2020-21 NBA season and were the favorites to reach the Conference Finals. However, they blew a 2-1 series lead against the Atlanta Hawks, which ended their hopes of advancing to the next round.
The Philadelphia 76ers have dominated the NBA trade rumors since then. The majority of the reports have been circling Ben Simmons. Simmons did not have the best of postseason campaigns. His poor performances on the offensive end were one of the major reasons behind the Sixers' failures.
He shot only 34% from the free-throw line in the playoffs. It was the worst record for a player with at least 70 attempts. Simmons was the starting point guard for the Philadelphia 76ers. As per NBA trade rumors, the Sixers are looking to trade him and tweak their squad in various areas.
Some of the Philadelphia 76ers' biggest needs this offseason are to acquire more frontcourt depth and a playmaking point guard who can score at an efficient rate. They also need to add more shooters who can knock down shots and provide Joel Embiid with some decent spacing to work with on offense.
On that note, let's take a look at three players the Philadelphia 76ers should trade for.
#3 Terrence Ross
The Philadelphia 76ers bench struggled to score in the 2021 NBA Playoffs, and that is one area they need to upgrade. They acquired George Hill from the OKC Thunder mid-season, but he could only contribute 4.7 points per game. He is 35 now and seems to be way past his prime to be playing on a contending team.
The Philadelphia 76ers should look to acquire Terrence Ross from the Orlando Magic to resolve their woes. Ross had a career-high season last campaign, averaging 15.6 points and 2.3 assists per game. He came off the bench in 44 of the 46 games he played for the Magic. He shot a respectable 33.7% from the three-point line on 5.7 attempts per contest.
As per NBA trade rumors, Ross is likely to be traded by the Orlando Magic in the offseason. They are moving towards a rebuild and have a stacked backcourt comprising a lot of young prospects.
The Sixers could try to include George Hill and offer draft compensation (future first-round picks) along with him to the Magic. Hill is owed roughly $10 million next season, while Ross is set to earn $12.5 million. So the salaries would match as well. Terrence Ross has two years left on his contract and would be owed a reasonable $11.5 million in the 2022-23 season.