NBA Trade Rumors: 3 crucial decisions the Philadelphia 76ers have to make this off-season
The Philadelphia 76ers are all over the news after the blockbuster hiring of Daryl Morey as the president of their basketball operations. While Morey and Doc Rivers' appointments have given hope to 76ers fans about the future, they still have a lot of things to figure out as far as roster construction is concerned. In this article, we'll take a look at some of the recent NBA trade rumors as well as 3 crucial decisions that the Philadelphia 76ers should make in order to get back to title contention next season.
3 crucial decisions the Philadelphia 76ers have to make to get back to title contention next season
After Daryl Morey's hiring, it's quite uncertain where the Philadelphia 76ers are headed as a franchise. While Doc Rivers is a great defensive-minded coach, Morey is known for his fast-paced shooting-oriented offensive approach. As they try to strike a balance and to compete in next year's playoffs, here are the 3 most important decisions they should consider in the offseason.
#1. Consider trading Ben Simmons
Doc Rivers has already quashed NBA trade rumors surrounding Ben Simmons and wants to keep the Simmons-Embiid duo intact. However, with Daryl Morey's recent appointment, the Philadelphia 76ers might give this another thought.
While Simmons is an elite defender and playmaker, he's one of the worst shooters in the league. It's hard to see him succeeding under a Daryl Morey system, and the Sixers might as well make the most of his market value in the offseason.
#2. Acquire more shooters
This should be a no brainer given the lack of 3-point shooters in their starting line-up. Tobias Harris and Josh Richardson are good shooters but they aren't enough to compete with other teams in the East.
The Philadelphia 76ers parted ways with their best shooter JJ Redick in the previous season, and NBA trade rumors suggest that they might add the likes of Buddy Hield to fill that void.
#3. Offload Al Horford's bad contract
Al Horford is already past his prime, and the 76ers still owe him $81 million over the next 3 years. Given the spacing issues between Al Horford and Joel Embiid in the paint, the Philadelphia 76ers' priority should be to find a trade partner for Horford in the offseason.
However, given his age and the years left on his contract, the Sixers should add a considerable amount of young assets along with Horford to convince other teams.
Also read: NBA Trade Rumors: A Zach LaVine-Buddy Hield swap might be on the cards as the Chicago Bulls look to draft another playmaker