Philadelphia 76ers: Potential blockbuster trades ahead of 2017 NBA Draft

With the future of several big-name players under a cloud leading up to the 2017 NBA Draft, the time is right for the Philadelphia 76ers to make some inquiries.

Although the NBA is still in the thick of the playoffs, that doesn’t mean the noise surrounding next season has dissipated in the slightest.

This season has seen several high-profile players rumored to be keen for greener pastures elsewhere.

Considering the current state of the Philadelphia 76ers, the time is right for the president of basketball operations Bryan Colangelo to vault this team to the next level.

First of all, presuming all players return to full health, the Sixers’ roster is loaded with upside. Center Joel Embiid exhibited in just 31 games last season that he could potentially become one of the most dominant players in the league. Having missed his first two seasons with recurring foot issues, Embiid’s impact was astounding.

Despite being placed on a minutes restriction, Embiid’s progress in such a short space of time was amazing. Over his last 12 games prior to being ruled out for the season, Embiid averaged 23.8 points, 8.6 rebounds and 2.5 blocks in just 27.1 minutes per game. Furthermore, he shot 82 percent from the free-throw line on 10.7 attempts per game, and was a +81 while on the court.

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On a per-36 minutes basis, Embiid would’ve ranked third in the league in scoring, and first in both free throw attempts and blocks during this stretch.

Another standout was rookie Dario Saric, who markedly improved as the season progressed. By season’s end, Saric had averaged 12.8 points and 6.3 rebounds per game, which included averaging 17.9 points and 7.3 rebounds over his last 30 games of the season.

In addition, last year’s No. 1 overall Ben Simmons has yet to debut, while former No. 3 overall pick, Jahlil Okafor, is still just 21 years of age.

And if this isn’t enough, the Sixers now hold the No. 3 overall pick in this year’s draft following the 2017 NBA Draft Lottery.

Related Story: 2017 NBA Draft Lottery results and 1st round order

Despite the obvious talent at the Sixers’ disposal, not all the players on the roster necessarily fit the needs of the franchise moving forward. Okafor has become somewhat superfluous since Embiid’s introduction, while Saric doesn’t necessarily match Brown’s mantra of “defence, pace and space.”

Therefore, with some legitimate trading chips at their disposal, it would be negligent of Colangelo and the front office not to explore some possible deals.