The Sixers could trade up to land Dylan Harper
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The Sixers could trade up to land Dylan Harper
After weeks of speculation that the Philadelphia 76ers could trade down in the NBA Draft, there is now talk of them looking to trade up. Darly Morey could look to jump one spot in the hope of adding Dylan Harper out of Rutgers to the Sixers.
Morey may be bought by the idea that the San Antonio Spurs don’t need another guard. They already have Stephon Castle and De’Aaron Fox. Adding Harper would complicate their rebuild. That’s why Zachary Howell of ClutchPoints has proposed a trade that would see the Spurs and Sixers swap draft picks.
The trade proposal looks like this:
Sixers Get: Jeremy Sochan and a 2025 first-round pick(#2)
Spurs Get: Kelly Oubre Jr. and a 2025 first-round pick(#3)
“If Morey wants to bring in a young shooting guard to play alongside Jared McCain off Philadelphia’s bench, Harper provides much more upside,” Howell reasoned. “…Giving up Oubre Jr. in the deal hurts Philadelphia, but that is the cost of doing business. The forward has become a key role player for the 76ers, guarding the opponents’ best perimeter player each night. That defensive talent, combined with his aggression in secondary actions, helped to make up for George’s lackluster season.”
Harper would give the Sixers a young and high-potential backcourt of the future. He would also cement Nick Nurse’s guard rotation off the bench. However, like the Spurs, Philadelphia already has two high-level guard prospects in McCain and Tyrese Maxey. Still, Morey may view the trio as a long-term play toward sustained success.
Sixers Urged to Consider Trading Down
During a recent episode of the “Kevin O’Connor Show” for Yahoo Sports, O’Connor detailed why the Sixers should explore the opportunity to trade down on draft night.
”I’m not the biggest Ace Bailey guy. Personally, if I’m Philadelphia, I’d be very, very open to trading down. I’ve heard the Pelicans at number seven like Ace Bailey. Joe Dumars there — sounds like he really likes Ace Bailey. Could try to trade up to number three to Philly or number four with Charlotte. That to me is the best-case scenario for the Sixers — you trade down from three to seven, New Orleans gets their guy, and you can probably still get Maluach. I don’t know if Trey Johnson would be there at seven, but Maluach — I don’t see it at four or five.”
Morey has a wealth of options available to him. However, he will be judged on whatever decision he makes. Therefore, he is likely shouldering significant pressure, especially as the Sixers fan base is so hungry for success.
Sixers Must Add Athleticism
Outside of the draft, the Sixers face an uphill battle to retool the roster. Morey is short on tradable assets, but must find ways of improving the current rotation. According to former Sixers GM Billy King, Philadelphia needs to add some more size and athleticism to the frontcourt.
“I think they have to get more athletic around Joel,” King told Ky Carlin of Sixers Wire. “If you’re watching Oklahoma City, Indiana, you watch Boston; I think you need as many 6’8″ athletes as possible to be able to compete in this league because the game has changed where the power player down low is not as dominant and the game is try to create mismatches by running pick-and-rolls.”
Right now, most of Morey’s time is likely being consumed by the draft process. However, once that is over, he will need to turn his full attention to the free agent and trade markets. After all, the Sixers have to bounce back strong next season.