4. Philadelphia 76ers
The Philadelphia 76ers didn’t land their big fish over the summer, but then again, the summer technically isn’t over! With a star tandem of Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons, plus young talent like Dario Saric, Robert Covington and Markelle Fultz, the foundation is there for a future contender.
However, as we saw in last year’s playoffs when Covington’s shooting disappeared, a star on the wing is still needed. Fultz could still grow into the third star this team needs out on the perimeter, but if the Sixers lose faith, lose patience or simply believe Butler is their guy for the long-term, they could accelerate their plans with a game-changing trade.
I'm trading Fultz and Covington for Butler and not thinking twice, but that's just me (and it'd probably backfire).
— Michael Pina (@MichaelVPina) September 19, 2018
The first option revolves around the former No. 1 overall pick and Covington, who earned All-Defensive First Team honors last year. His brand of stifling wing defense would be welcomed in Minnesota, even if his 3-point shooting can be flaky.
Fultz would be given a chance to flourish once Jeff Teague‘s time there is done, though it’s concerning he’d get benched in favor of Derrick Rose in the meantime … only to be ridden into the ground once his day finally came. In any case, he’s better than the 7.1 points, 3.8 assists and 3.1 rebounds per game he averaged in 14 appearances as a rookie.
It’s far too soon to give up on this 20-year-old, but if the Timberwolves aren’t interested in Covington’s long-term money, they could always opt for another wing presence like Wilson Chandler. He might be more attractive thanks to his advantage in experience and the fact that he’s an expiring contract.
In either case, the Timberwolves get a 3-and-D wing and a young prospect oozing with potential, while the Sixers immediately find themselves on level ground with the Boston Celtics in the battle for the East, sporting a lineup of Simmons, Embiid, Butler, Saric and J.J. Redick. At that point, they’d have a good chance of convincing him to re-sign for the long haul.
Unfortunately, if the whispers about Fultz revamping his shot are true, the Sixers may be better off standing pat and letting him develop into an All-Star, rather than spending assets on a player they might be able to free up enough cap space to sign outright anyway.