NBA Trade Grades: Magic take on Markelle Fultz from 76ers

Philadelphia 76ers

The 76ers have been one of the most active organizations in the NBA around this year’s deadline, with Wednesday’s move for Tobias Harris being a blockbuster deal. They now have a legitimate Big 4 to try and win the East with in Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons, Jimmy Butler and Harris.

The addition of Simmons to this core only reinforces their desire to put all of their chips on the table and win now, as he is the perfect player to have around these guys. He is a consummate professional who never truly jelled in Orlando, despite some memorable performances.

Simmons is much more suited to playing on a contending team, as we have seen before during his time with the San Antonio Spurs. He doesn’t get you big numbers (career averages of 8.5 points and 1.9 assists per game), but he also doesn’t demand much of the ball and will work hard around the stars.

The contract of Simmons is a team-friendly one as well. He is owed only $5.7 million next season before becoming an unrestricted free agent. Given that the 76ers are going to have to pay a lot of players if they want to keep this group intact, that is a steal of a deal.

This isn’t the kind of move that is going to get spoken about a lot, but Simmons is the ideal guy to add to the bench for a long postseason run. Adding a first round pick in 2020 (which will become two second-rounders if it doesn’t convey) is a nice sweetener too.

It gives the 76ers the chance to use this pick if they feel the need to, or potentially flip it around this year’s draft to see what other assets they can add to their fearsome roster. The second round pick may have less value, but it should land somewhere in the 31-35 range and can be added to future packages as well.

It may also come in handy as a draft-and-stash move, so as to not add another rookie to their payroll immediately. No matter what, the addition of Simmons and the picks makes Philly better right now, and further down the line too. Flexibility is key in today’s league.

Giving up on Fultz less than two years after drafting first overall him is sad, but from the moment Butler landed in Philadelphia, the switch had been flipped and the chance to become a long-term fixture on this team had passed Fultz by. He still has so much growing to do as a player.

The shoulder injuries that have plagued him are no longer the problem of the Sixers either, and it is a relief for them to not have to deal with the constant chatter surrounding the enigmatic prospect. His trade value was a complete mystery to everybody in the league, but they’ve got to be happy with how this one panned out — especially with a deal coming just before the final buzzer.

Grade B+