Philadelphia 76ers: 3 potential blockbuster trades following free agency

3. LaMarcus Aldridge, San Antonio Spurs

This is a potential deal that could appease each side of the equation.

The Spurs have been consistently mentioned as looking for trade suitors for Aldridge.

Meanwhile, the Sixers have made no secret that they are actively looking to upgrade at the 4-spot, despite the promise shown by Dario Saric in his rookie season.

At the Sixers’ season ending exit interviews, Colangelo spelled out clearly that the 4-spot is an area which they are looking to address when asked about overall roster improvement:

"“A stretch 4, backing up Dario or starting ….if we can find someone that’s better. We’ve probably gotta address that 4 position.”"

With this in mind, Aldridge certainly qualifies. A five-time All-Star, Aldridge averaged 17.3 points and 7.3 rebounds per game last season. Although not a true stretch-4, Aldridge demonstrated a commendable accuracy from long range, converting at a 41.1 percent clip on 0.8 attempts per game.

The move is worth considering for the Sixers on a number of levels. Despite the additions of Redick and Johnson, the Sixers are incredibly inexperienced. For instance, between projected starters Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons and Markelle Fultz, there is a combined 31 games of NBA experience.

Furthermore, the presence of a talent such as Aldridge is not just a terrific piece to the overall puzzle, but it also provides the Sixers with an excellent insurance policy for Embiid, who has participated in just 31 games over three seasons due to foot and knee issues. Aldridge is more than qualified to step up to the plate and provide additional firepower if or when Embiid is on the sidelines.

For the Spurs, the move would achieve a couple of objectives. First, it would remove itself from the perceived unhappiness that Aldridge has exhibited in his time with the Spurs. Having been accustomed to being the No. 1 option on offense, taking a backseat to superstar Kawhi Leonard has not been an easy adjustment.

Also, the move would deliver the Spurs two elite young talents in Saric and Jahlil Okafor. Saric is coming off a stellar rookie campaign where he averaged 12.8 points and 6.3 rebounds per game, improving noticeably as the season progressed.

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Okafor, meanwhile, is just two years removed from being selected with the No. 3 overall pick. But the emergence last season of Embiid, combined with his own injury concerns, saw him flounder after having averaged `17.5 points and 7.0 rebounds as a rookie.

The Spurs have simply done an amazing job of continuing a level of excellence without the presence of high-end lottery picks. The last time they owned their own lottery selection was when they selected Tim Duncan in 1997.

The move would provide the Spurs with an exciting young frontline of Leonard, Saric and Okafor to build around for the coming years. Guard Jerryd Bayless is included for salary cap purposes, and provides the Spurs with an additional ball-handler while point guard Tony Parker recovers from quad surgery.

For the Sixers, this move would deliver a potential starting five of Embiid, Simmons, Fultz, Redick and Aldridge. A terrific mix of youth and experience, combined with a great complement of skill-sets, would make the Sixers a more than formidable force in the Eastern Conference.