Philadelphia 76ers: A 3-team trade deadline blockbuster proposal

Sixers perspective

Overall, the future is extremely bright for the Sixers.

This past October, Joel Embiid agreed to terms on a five-year, $148 million contract extension, thus locking him up for the foreseeable future. Having played just 31 games over his first three seasons in the league, this deal was undeniably a risk on the part of the Sixers’ front office, led by president of basketball operations Bryan Colangelo.

But having already played in 40 games this season, Embiid has thus far backed up the faith shown in him by the Sixers’ hierarchy. In possibly the most promising development of his career, Embiid recently played in his first ever back-to-back contest, an incredible feat considering how far he has come since arriving as the No. 3 overall pick in 2014. His numbers of 23.6 points, 11.0 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.8 blocks per game give credence to his All-Star selection.

For his part, Simmons has been sensational in his debut, and was awfully close from being the first rookie selected to the All-Star game since Blake Griffin in 2011. In 49 games, Simmons has compiled the gaudy numbers of 16.7 points, 7.8 rebounds, 7.2 assists and 1.8 steals per game. It therefore goes without saying that Embiid and Simmons are going nowhere anytime soon.

While his shooting this season has fallen away over the last couple of months, Robert Covington’s impact at the defensive end of the floor is pivotal, as recognized by the fact that the Sixers are 5.0 points per 100 possessions better off defensively when Covington is on the floor.

Additionally, Covington ranks second in the league with 3.9 deflections per game, and is 18th in the league with 1.6 steals per game.

Furthermore, Covington signed a four-year, $60 million contract extension this past November, making him ineligible to be traded prior to this years deadline.

Meanwhile, Dario Saric’s continued improvement and fit within the Sixers’ structure has taken off in recent months, with his versatility to play in a variety of lineups making his presence invaluable for head coach Brett Brown.

That leaves the rest of the roster up for grabs. As cutthroat as the deal may seem, parting ways with veteran guard J.J. Redick and a potential stud in Markelle Fultz is a move the Sixers should seriously consider.