NBA trade rumors: 7 potential Kemba Walker trades
4. Philadelphia 76ers
The juiciest of all these hypothetical trades, a Kemba Walker deal with the Philadelphia 76ers involving Markelle Fultz would be a jaw-dropping exchange.
On the one hand, it’s ludicrous how quickly people have given up on Fultz — the unanimously tabbed No. 1 pick and consensus top prospect in this year’s draft — after just a few months. The Sixers have had no problems being patient waiting for Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons to be 100 percent, so panicking with their top overall selection seems silly.
However, it’s also true there’s legitimate concern about his shoulder issue and horrendous shooting form that’s changed so dramatically over the past few months. Whether it’s all mental or there’s a deeper underlying issue remains to be seen, but if the Sixers have legitimate reason to be worried, it’s not that outlandish to imagine them cashing in on Fultz’s value for an All-Star scorer.
What the 76ers would lose in power forward depth, they’d make up for in scoring ability. Walker isn’t a pass-first point guard, which means Simmons could still run the show. Walker’s ability to play off the ball, spread the floor and take the focus of Embiid would be huge, and with a stretch-4 like Williams attached, the Sixers would improve their 3-point shooting and playoff hopes.
Meanwhile, Charlotte gets salary cap relief with the contracts of both Amir Johnson and Trevor Booker expiring this summer, plus the best potential franchise player among any of these hypothetical trades.
Again, the Sixers could very easily continue to “Trust the Process” by not giving up on Fultz and his superstar potential so quickly. Perhaps this shoulder/shooting issue will look silly a few years down the road when a star trio of Embiid, Simmons and Fultz is winning playoff games.
However, if these concerns are legitimate, Philly could easily sell high on his value while it still can, nabbing another go-to scorer and off-ball threat to upgrade the offense. As a franchise on the rise, the 76ers could probably convince him to re-sign as well, assuming they view him as the next step to seriously contending.