NBA trade grades: Nuggets sending Wilson Chandler to 76ers
Philadelphia 76ers
After falling short in the LeBron James sweepstakes, Sixers fans turned their attention to a possible Kawhi Leonard trade. Most were disappointed with the news of this trade, since it seemingly signaled the waving of the white flag on that potential avenue.
However, that’s certainly not the case; Wilson Chandler can still be moved in another trade down the line since he’s being absorbed into Philly’s cap space:
Even if there’s no Kawhi trade in the works just yet, the San Antonio Spurs are being patient, which means the idea could be revisited in the future. In the meantime, the Sixers are settling for an established wing who will bring experience, defense and hopefully more effort than he showed down the stretch of his career in the Mile High City.
True enough, Chandler is already 31 years old and had a very underwhelming final year with the Nuggets, averaging 10.0 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 31.6 minutes per game. He shot a ho-hum 35.8 percent from 3-point range, and as a career 34.1 percent shooter from distance, it’s unlikely that skill will suddenly become part of his arsenal. He’s just below-average in this category.
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However, if he can knock down 3s at even a moderate clip, he’ll be a solid bench presence and a possible alternative to Robert Covington if he goes cold (or if the team decides to move him). If the Spurs have no interest in taking on RoCo and his recent contract extension in a potential Kawhi deal, Chandler gives the Sixers another wing option to dangle, only this time, it’d be accompanied by future cap relief as an expiring contract.
Possible Kawhi implications aside, hopefully Chandler cares a bit more playing on a team that has a chance to contend for the Eastern Conference belt with LeBron James moving out West. The Sixers don’t need him to be a two-way dynamo, but his versatility on the defensive end might be more important than anything he provides from an offensive or floor-spacing standpoint.
Lineups with Chandler, Covington, Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid could be a nightmare defensively, given their ability to switch at so many positions.
Wilson Chandler takes up pretty much all of the Sixers’ remaining cap space and he’s not the star acquisition fans were hoping for, but that door hasn’t close just yet for Philly. In the meantime, the 76ers just picked up a solid vet to bolster their wing depth.
Next: 2018 NBA free agency tracker: Grades for every deal so far
Grade: A-