2019 NBA Trade Deadline: 5 teams that should trade for Markelle Fultz
3. Washington Wizards
This one’s a bit ambitious, but as The Athletic‘s Shams Charania reports, the Washington Wizards could aggressively move toward trading Otto Porter Jr. in the next few weeks. If that’s the case, and the Sixers really want to up the ante, getting a multi-positional two-way player like Porter could work wonders.
The struggle here is finding a deal that both works financially and appeases Washington’s likely demands for their 25-year-old wing. However, with the Wizards also mulling a John Wall trade for the future, resetting with a new franchise point guard shouldn’t be out of the question.
Actually locating such a trade for Wall is another matter, but it’s clear that change is needed. Fultz could be a pillar in their new youth movement, with Wilson Chandler and Mike Muscala thrown in to balance out the salaries. As expiring contracts, those two would provide D.C. with much-needed cap relief once the 2018-19 campaign is over.
With three players on the move, the Sixers would need another wing heading their way, so Jeff Green‘s expiring deal is lumped in. Porter (40.3 percent) and Green (35.4 percent) would significantly improve their 3-point shooting, as well as their depth.
A future first round pick of some sort would have to be included for the Wizards to bite, and it’d have to be unprotected. Even that might not be enough, but if Washington’s front office wises up and moves toward a full-scale rebuild, this path makes sense.
If such a deal isn’t a good enough return for Porter, a less exciting alternative might present itself, with the Sixers taking on Trevor Ariza in exchange for Fultz and an on-the-mend Justin Patton:
Ariza will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, so he’d merely be a rental, but he’s a career 35.2 percent shooter from long range, a well-respected veteran and a versatile defender. He was a last resort to get the Wizards’ season back on track, and though they’ve played better recently, he’d fill that kind of role better on a more legitimate playoff team.