Philadelphia 76ers: Trade with the Atlanta Hawks needs to be explored

As the trade deadline swiftly approaches, two names on the rumor mill would help the Philadelphia 76ers big time.

For fear of beating a dead horse, I will avoid critiquing the Philadelphia 76ers‘ lack of depth to this point. Instead, I will provide a reasonable solution.

A rumor that’s amorphously permeating NBA discussions involves Atlanta Hawks swingman Taurean Prince. The Hawks might not want to pay the forward’s next contract, or they could see him as an odd fit next to Trae Young, who commands the ball.

Prior to his injury in December, Prince was averaging 15.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 2.3 assists on 43.1 percent shooting from the field, 36.7 percent from downtown and 83.3 percent from the free throw line.

At 6’7″ with that versatile stat line, Prince is of the mold that every contender should want.

If Atlanta doesn’t like him, this is a good time to squeeze value out of him. Everyone could use a big wing who shoots, defends, and handles the ball like Prince. He’s a good fit on any roster.

A concrete report from Peachtree Hoops cites Philly as an inquirer for another Atlanta player: guard Jeremy Lin. Averaging 10.9 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 3.5 assists on 48.8 percent shooting (36.1 on threes), Lin is a game manager who can complement the Big Three capably.

Not only could the Sixers use a player like Prince, but they desperately need one. Jimmy Butler can’t be the only two-way wing on the roster come playoff time.

For as much as Furkan Korkmaz and Landry Shamet contribute offensively, they’re bad defenders and will get exposed by good teams.

Prince would easily overthrow Wilson Chandler in the starting lineup, making a quintet of Ben Simmons, J.J. Redick, Butler, Prince, and Joel Embiid. Chandler and Korkmaz would be reduced to more favorable roles as specialists. Ditto for Shamet.

As for Lin, his need is more so a byproduct of the uncertainty shrouding Markelle Fultz. Lin has experience running the show as the lead ball handler while also playing off ball palatably. He’s been part of several playoff runs with the Houston Rockets and Charlotte Hornets to boot.

With Lin in the fold, T.J. McConnell can go back to being the energy point guard who can play within himself for 8-10 minutes a night.

Lin can lead the show when Simmons sits, play off the 6’10” freak of nature, and initiate some pick-and-roll with Embiid. This rotation would look much more competent with Lin and Prince in it.

While you do the Butler trade 100 times out of 100, the repercussions need to be addressed in succession. While the fit for this big three isn’t perfect, they’re all very good and ready to win. With good role players around them, they’ll figure it out.

Getting starting caliber players is just what the doctor ordered for this roster. Half the rotation is currently tasked with more responsibility than they should be, and both Lin and Prince would push them closer to manageable duties.

Cost

Now comes the important part: value. Atlanta probably won’t sell them off for cheap and the salaries have to be matched.

The only significant cap hits Philly has left to offload are Redick ($12.25 million) and Chandler ($12.8 million). The former certainly can’t be involved, so the latter would probably go.

Lin’s hit of $13.8 million, combined with Prince’s $2.5 million, are still close enough to Chandler’s cap hit to where it works for both teams.

Here is the proposed deal that I would do from both ends:

Atlanta gets an asset for two players they no longer value and Philly gets two quality players to bolster the rotation.

The only argument against trading for Prince is his cap hit. He is owed $3.5 million next season, which eats into the space that the Sixers have so emphatically kept open.

What the Sixers want to do is use as much money as possible to acquire role players around their stars. They shouldn’t be looking to “star hunt” like last offseason anymore, unless Butler leaves in free agency and ignites pandemonium.

I’m not going to be that speculator. Butler has done well in his role since coming to Philly, and I’m not pontificating over some random reports regarding pick-and-roll usage. Butler seems to like it here, and we should appreciate that for everything it’s worth.

That being said, what this team needs around Embiid, Simmons and Butler are role players. Two-way guys who mostly 3-and-D-and-shut-up. Isn’t Prince of that archetype? His $3.5 million will be a lot cheaper than anyone else the team could get to fill that role.

If you want to argue that the team should pay extra money later instead of a valuable asset now, consider the context. The team will have to make moves like this in the immediate future if they want to seriously compete.

A team with a MVP candidate, a budding superstar, and an actual superstar who bridges the gap shouldn’t have to be persuaded to make win-now moves. Elton Brand should already be scouring the trade market, and moves like these separate the men from the boys.