Philadelphia 76ers: 3 potential deadline trades to fix the Sixers’ bench
76ers get: Jonathon Simmons, D.J. Augustin
Magic get: Markelle Fultz
For Sixers’ sake:
The Sixers are extremely thin at the small forward position. Korkmaz doesn’t seem ready to contribute significant bench minutes on a playoff squad: at least not yet.
In Johnathan Simmons, the Sixers receive a long, 6-foot-6 two guard capable of moving to the three-spot. His ability to play both positions with help solidify the Sixers thin bench.
The 29-year-old Houston native has a tremendous underdog story that includes paying a $150 fee to attend an Austin Toros (Spurs) tryout, according to an NBA G-League article.
Simmons also received his NBA shot from Gregg Popovich, the same coach who helped groom Coach Brown when he was an assistant in San Antonio.
Finally, D.J. Augustin adds a shooting threat to the Sixers bench. Augustin is unafraid to pull-up from any distance, and the 31-year-old NBA journeyman is shooting what would be a career-high 42.8 percent from the three-point line this season.
Financially, the deal makes sense. Augustin is owed $14.5 million in guaranteed dollars the next two seasons, but his role of backup point guard on a championship contender would be worth the investment. Plus, the Sixers have little money tied up in their current backup McConnell.
Additionally, after this season, J. Simmons is owed only $1 million in guaranteed dollars. If his mini-experiment doesn’t work out with Philly, his money owed if cut would be of little issue to the Sixers.
For the Magic’s Sake:
Augustin, a 31-year-old PG with 10 years of NBA experience, has started 53 of 54 games for the Magic this season. For a team struggling as mightily as Orlando (22-32), starting a seasoned vet is of little benefit to the future.
In Fultz, the Magic receive more youth. This seems to be the direction the squad is going in, as Orlando only has three players on the roster over the age of 26 (this hypothetical deal would remove two of those three).
In addition, Orlando is one of the smaller NBA markets compared to the sports hub of Philadelphia. The Philadelphia media has rightfully questioned Fultz’s mysterious status over the course of his early career.
Perhaps Fultz could benefit by growing slowly in a small market, as opposed to immediately joining arguably the best team in the East on an NBA finals run.
After this trade, his roster competition wouldn’t be stiff. The other two remaining Magic point guards have played a combined 286 games in their careers.