How this trade benefits the Philadelphia 76ers
As mentioned above, the Philadelphia 76ers need 3-point shooting. In a team with Ben Simmons and a rapidly declining Danny Green in the starting lineup, the chances of making a shot outside the arc are very limited.
The Sixers are making just 10.4 threes per game, which is the third-lowest around the league. Quite ironically, the second-lowest New York Knicks could end up being the ones that help Philly get over the hump.
The New York Knicks have been struggling as well, resulting in many defeats where the threes just weren’t falling. It has already been proven that the team performs much better when the main offensive priority is attacking the paint.
Additionally, they are really heavy on guards at the moment. The acquisition of Derrick Rose has forced Austin Rivers out of the rotation, joining Frank Ntilikina as outcasts. Alec Burks has been helping the team a bit off the bench, despite struggling in recent games.
The Philadelphia 76ers are getting just 32.4 points from their bench unit and are bottom-five in that category. Being a team that likes to rest its players, bench help must arrive soon if they are serious about competing and putting the finishing touches in The Process.
Shake Milton, their primary bench scorer, has been very inconsistent with his shot and as a result, they do not have that many scoring options once Joel Embiid and Tobias Harris get some much-needed time on the bench.
The New York Knicks have a plethora of guards that are not irreplaceable members of the rotation, thus marking them as perfect trade candidates. Austin Rivers, who considered Philadelphia during the summer because of his father, and Alec Burks, who played in Philly last season, would be just the right additions to the squad.