Philadelphia 76ers: 3 under-the-radar trade targets to pursue

In the lead-up to the annual trade deadline, here are three veterans who should be strongly targeted by the Philadelphia 76ers.

Aside from the continued absence of rookie Markelle Fulktz, the Philadelphia 76ers have more or less seen the better part of their core rotation on the floor on a consistent basis this season.

The Sixers’ president of basketball operations, Bryan Colengelo, has already made one in-season move, dealing away former lottery selections Jahlil Okafor and Nik Stauskas in return for veteran forward Trevor Booker. While Booker provides a terrific work ethic and excellent overall veteran presence, he clearly has his limitations as a player.

After averaging 13.3 points and 7.3 rebounds in 21.5 minutes over his first three games in a Sixers uniform, Booker’s production and playing time have cooled significantly since. In his ensuing 12 games, Booker has averaged just 3.2 points and 3.3 rebounds in 13.0 minutes per game. Despite center Joel Embiid missing four games in this recent stretch, and backup Richaun Holmes missing three games, Booker was still unable to increase his role in the rotation.

Aside from his renowned ruggedness, Booker is just 6’8″ and does not possess the ability to stretch the floor, as evidenced by the fact that 83.3 of his total field goal attempts this season have come within nine feet of the basket. Given the presence of Embiid, Holmes, Dario Saric and Amir Johnson in the frontcourt, Booker’s role on the team appears to be limited moving forward.

Despite this, Booker’s $9 million annual salary expires at the end of the season, thus giving Colangelo and the front office additional flexibility this offseason.

At 20-20, and one game out of the eighth seed, the Sixers’ season is somewhat at a crossroads. A poor stretch in the coming weeks could easily see them chasing their tails as the business end of the season approaches. So with this in mind, here’s a look at the Sixers’ schedule for the remainder of January:

• Jan. 18 @ Boston Celtics
• Jan. 20 vs Milwaukee Bucks
• Jan. 22 @ Memphis Grizzlies
• Jan. 24 vs Chicago Bulls
• Jan. 26 @ San Antonio Spurs
• Jan. 28 @ Oklahoma City Thunder
• Jan. 29 @ Milwaukee Bucks
• Jan. 31 @ Brooklyn Nets

With six of their next eight games on the road, and two tough back-to-backs thrown into the mix, the Sixers will need to be at the top of their game in order to come away with a winning record by the end of the month.

Furthermore, the league’s annual trade deadline arrives soon after this stretch of games on Feb. 8. Given Booker’s seemingly limited role, and the fact the Sixers rank 26th in bench scoring at 27.5 points per game, the team could greatly benefit from the presence of another proven contributor with an increased on-court presence.

So with the trade deadline just a few weeks away, here are three under-the-radar trade targets the Sixers should seriously consider pursuing.