The Philadelphia 76ers completed a late-night trade with the Los Angeles Clippers that sent James Harden, P.J. Tucker and Filip Petrusev to California in exchange for Marcus Morris, Robert Covington, Nic Batum, KJ Martin, a 2028 unprotected first-round pick, a 2029 first-round pick swap, an additional first-round pick from the Oklahoma City Thunder, and two second-round picks, according to ESPN.
And according to Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix, the Sixers may have their sights set on the Chicago Bulls Zach LaVine and the Toronto Raptors' OG Anunoby.
What Zach LaVine and OG Anunoby would bring to the Sixers
Mannix lays out the appeal of LaVine and Anunoby for the Sixers. Lavine is the far superior offensive option as a true three-level scorer capable of creating his own shot, but his defense is viewed as poor, and he's a below-average passer for a high-usage guard. With Sixers' head coach Nick Nurse's affinity for defense and Tyrese Maxey's blazing hot start, the Sixers may view defense as their top priority.
Anunoby's case is he is one of the best 3-and-D wings in the sport and is routinely a league leader in steals. With the firepower now in Milwaukee and Boston, getting through the Eastern Conference will require stout interior and perimeter defense. A factor to consider is Sixers' head coach Nick Nurse's relationship with Anunoby from his time coaching the Raptors. While Nurse is familiar with Anunoby and there is a preexisting relationship between the two, there were persistent murmurs that Anunoby was unhappy with his role in Toronto.
How the Harden trade will set up the Sixers' next move
If the Sixers are to make a move for either Anunoby or LaVine, the expectation is they would use many of the assets they received in return for Harden. The Chicago Bulls, in particular, may be very intrigued by the abundance of expiring contracts the Sixers could send them. Mired in mediocrity, the Bulls have LaVine on the books for at least two more seasons after 2023-24, and flipping him for expiring contracts and then moving DeMar DeRozan, himself on an expiring contract, would allow them to quickly pivot into a rebuild.
The Raptors, much like the Bulls, are in desperate need of a teardown. Their roster is ill-fitting, and Anunoby could return a series of assets to set them up for the future. The decision to move Anunoby would also give them the license to move Pascal Siakam and hand the team over to Scottie Barnes. The one concern for the Raptors is they owe the San Antonio Spurs a first-round pick. However, the pick is top six protected, meaning the Raptors can guarantee they keep the pick if they finish with one of the two worst records.
The Sixers, even without James Harden, have looked like a very good team but remain a bit short of the top two teams in the Eastern Conference. Their trade of Harden has strengthened their asset base and provided them with a treasure trove of expiring contracts. Zach LaVine and OG Anunoby are very different players, but both would dramatically improve the Sixers' chances of making the top of the Eastern Conference a big three.
