The Philadelphia 76ers should trade Markelle Fultz for D’Angelo Russell

Could Fultz find his New York groove?

While the Nets do look noticeably better than they have over the past few years, it’s clear this team isn’t making the playoffs in 2019, especially after watching their best player, Caris LeVert, suffer a brutal dislocated foot that should sideline him for most of the season.

With no real outside pressure, the Nets could commit plenty of time (24-plus minutes a night) to rehabbing Fultz’s career, giving him ample opportunities with no real pressure to live up to his draft pedigree.

At this point, the Nets have practically made a second career out of high-profile reclamation projects like Fultz and may view flipping a player like Russell for his services as a great value.

If recent reports are any indication, the Nets don’t appear too eager to commit to Russell past this season, as they would instead like to resign point guard 1b Spencer Dinwiddie to a long term deal to maintain their cap flexibility moving forward for their own version of ‘star hunting’. While Fultz is not the player Russell is right now, he has the potential to be just as good, if not better, with two years left on his rookie scale contract, he may fit better into the Nets’ plans long-term.

Can the 76ers afford to sign Butler, Simmons, Fultz to big money deals? No, but the Nets could extend Fultz moving forward if they think he has any sort of potential to be a starting caliber player.