NBA Trades: 5 splashy deals the Sixers can make to land a third star
By Cal Durrett
*Trade can’t be completed until December 30th
NBA Trade #3: The Sixers trade for DeMar DeRozan
Chicago Bulls star DeMar DeRozan is entering the final year of his contract and could be a potential trade target for teams such as the Sixers. While DeRozan may not be the Sixers’ first choice, he is a star who is likely to be available after he failed to come to terms on a contract extension with the Bulls.
If he is put on the trade block, he will have a say in where he goes since teams aren’t going to trade actual assets for a player who is unwilling to re-sign next summer. He might be willing to sign with the Sixers, but the two sides would need to come to terms on a new contract extension post-trade, which could be tricky because he is 34.
Those factors make him a potentially risky trade target, though he will likely be easier to acquire as a result. That may mean that he could be had for the cost of a matching salary and a first-round pick. The Sixers could offer up Marcus Morris’ expiring contract and a pick received from the Clippers to acquire him, and that would be a steal for a talent upgrade.
That being said, there are other potential downsides to trading for DeRozan, however. For one, he is ball dominant and would take the ball out of Tyrese Maxey’s hands, and he struggles to play off-ball with teams sagging off him. That would likely affect spacing and make things a bit harder for Embiid, making his fit with the Sixers questionable.