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Philadelphia 76ers: Ranking 5 potential offseason trades

By Larry Hammonds

PHILADELPHIA, PA - NOVEMBER 18: A general view of the Philadelphia 76ers logo at center court against the Golden State Warriors at the Wells Fargo Center on November 18, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - NOVEMBER 18: A general view of the Philadelphia 76ers logo at center court against the Golden State Warriors at the Wells Fargo Center on November 18, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /
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Philadelphia 76ers (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
Philadelphia 76ers (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) /

Philadelphia 76ers trade No. 2

Well, what do you know another, trade with the Pacers? Though I love the Brogdon trade, this one may actually be more realistic and beneficial to the Sixers.

One of the premier two-way players in the entire NBA before rupturing a quadriceps tendon during the 2018-2019 campaign, expect Victor Oladipo to be a candidate to win Most Improved Player next season.

Oladipo struggled through 19 games last season, trying to get legs back under him and find his rhythm. He shot a career-low 39.4 percent from the field and 31.7 percent from three last year. His 3.9 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 0.9 steals per game were all career-lows marks as well.

He showed flashes of his pre-injury self in the bubble. In six seeding games, he averaged 18.1 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 1.1 steals per 36 minutes.

Oladipo wants out of Indiana, and Philly would be the perfect fit. The 6’4 combo guard can alleviate the burden of being the primary playmaker off Ben Simmons’ shoulders. He is also a tremendous and versatile scorer. Oladipo averaged 23.1 points per game as the main focus of opposing defenses in his first year with the Pacers.

Oladipo is a two-time All-Star, the 2018 Most Improved Player, 2018 steals champion, and a member of the 2018 All-Defense first-team 2018 third-team All-NBA. At just 28 years old, Oladipo would be a fine addition to this Sixers squad and do wonders for the team on both ends of the floor.

Myles Turner has never lived up to the hype of being the 11th overall draft pick, but he has proven to be a valuable asset as a 3-point threat and an elite shot-blocker.

Turner has finished in the top-five in blocks per game, block percentage, and total blocks in four of his five seasons in the NBA. Leading the league in all three categories in 2019.

After shooting just 21.4 percent from three his rookie year, Turner has knocked down 35.9 percent of his 3-point attempts since. Last season he shot 34.4 percent while attempting a career-high 4.0 per game.

With 42.6 percent of Turner’s shot attempts coming from downtown,  just 22.1 percent coming from within three feet of the basket, and 37.3 percent from within 10 feet, he has shown a willingness to play outside and allow his teammates to dominate down low.

His willingness to play defense and meet shooters as the point of attack coupled with his ability to shade around the perimeter and wait for a kick-out pass on offense is a good indicator that he will mesh well with Embiid.

Adding Horford and Richardson will ensure the Pacers don’t miss a step on defense and will allow the offense to feature Brogdon, T.J. Warren, and Domantas Sabonis more without worrying about Oladipo’s ego or disrupting the flow of the offense.

Horford can also serve as a mentor for Goga Bitadze, who emerged as a key young player for the Pacers last season.

Both teams would be doing each other a favor in this trade. The Sixers dump Horford’s bloated contract, and the Pacers remove a disgruntled star on an expiring contract from the locker room.