The Philadelphia 76ers are approaching free agency with rumors swirling. Former Heat player and, more importantly, former Rocket P.J. Tucker is reportedly all but set to join the Sixers once free agency officially begins tomorrow at 6 pm ET. The news isn’t all about Tucker, however, as the Sixers are rumored to be shopping around the trade market, including placing Matisse Thybulle on the trade market.
In a recent report on Bleacher Report, Jake Fischer stated that Thybulle’s name has been the most active in trade conversations. Not only that, but two teams have been frequently connected to Thybulle, the Dallas Mavericks, and the Portland Trail Blazers.
Both teams are interesting fits for Thybulle as they are certainly in need of some perimeter defense. The question, though, is what would come back to Philadelphia in return? Does either of these teams have the pieces necessary to get a deal done? The Dallas Mavericks will be discussed at another time. In this piece, the focus is the Portland Trail Blazers.
If the Portland Trail Blazers are truly interested in Matisse Thybulle, what could they offer Daryl Morey and the Philadelphia 76ers?
Even with the draft-day addition of De’Anthony Melton and the likely addition of P.J. Tucker, the Sixers still have plenty of needs on the roster. The team will have to find a new starting wing and backups at guard, wing, and even a veteran center (though not a necessity). Not all of those needs can be identified by one trade, but the 76ers can make the team markedly better as a complete unit.
The Philadelphia 76ers effectively have three options when looking at a trade with the Portland Trail Blazers. They could opt to focus on saving money and, more importantly, obtaining future assets, they could add what veteran talent the Blazers have to offer, or they could target the crown jewel of the Blazers’ tradeable assets.
No. 3: Save money, add a future asset
First on the list is the option to move Thybulle, create some financial flexibility and reload with a future asset. The Portland Trail Blazers would receive Matisse Thybulle and Furkan Korkmaz, while the Sixers would add a future first-round draft pick, solving two issues for the team.
Portland has clearly shown interest in Thybulle, and Korkmaz would be able to provide some depth at a reasonable price for the Blazers. The Blazers have already solidified their team to a degree by trading for Jerami Grant and guaranteeing Hart’s contract next season, but there’s still more work to be done if the team wants to live up to Lillard’s lofty expectations.
The primary complication is that Portland currently owes their 2023 first-rounder to the Chicago Bulls, which is lottery-protected through 2018. In order to complete this deal, the Portland Trail Blazers would have to remove the protections on the pick in a deal with Chicago making it unprotected for the 2023 season. That’s a pretty big ask for a team that drafted seventh just last week.
If Daryl Morey can convince the Blazers to remove said protections, there is a path to a deal. It appeared clear that the Sixers aren’t interested in a salary dump; however, if the return is a legitimate first-round pick, they could likely be convinced.
No. 2: PHI adds two young athletes
While a future first-round pick would certainly be desirable, adding a young former first-rounder and surprisingly young veteran wing would be even more enticing. The Sixers have made it clear that they’re looking to add legitimate veteran talent, not just free salary space. For a team in need of athletic wing defenders, adding Winslow and Johnson is a no-brainer.
Justise Winslow has not had the NBA career that many had expected since he was drafted 10th overall by the Miami Heat in the 2015 NBA draft. With career averages of 8.4 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 2.5 assists, some may question what Winslow brings to the table. Admittedly, his box score numbers are a bit underwhelming, but he started to turn things around last season, with the Blazers averaging 10.7 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 1.3 steals in Portland.
Keon Johnson would come to Philadelphia and join his former teammate at Tennessee, Jaden Springer. Johnson would be on his third team in his short NBA career, but that is thorough, no fault of his own. The young guard certainly has potential; it will just take time for him to realize it (as is the case with Springer).
Sixers fans would surely be upset to lose Isaiah Joe but to acquire a younger and more talented player on a longer deal like Johnson, there should be no complaints.
No. 1: The crown jewel of Portland
Finally, the crown jewel of all tradeable assets in Portland, Nassir Little. The Blazers would have to value Thybulle immensely, potentially even need a push from Damian Lillard, to even consider this, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a pathway to convince them.
While Nassir Little provides an important role at a good price, the Blazers would still have a similar, albeit lesser, player in Justise Winslow. For Portland, there is a clear need for a player of Matisse Thybulle’s defensive acumen. Young role players Furkan Korkmaz and Isaiah Joe also replenish the depth for the Blazers.
For Philadelphia, Little would fulfill multiple needs. He’s young, athletic, a strong defender, and at least a willing shooter capable of developing. Like Winslow, Little also struggled to find where he fits in the game of basketball, at least for a time. Now entering his fourth season, Nassir Little appears to have found his niche.
Nassir Little is an athletic wing defender who has a chance to turn into a high-end role player in the NBA. The league has a shortage of these types of players, but they play a pivotal role. Wings who are both high-end athletes and tenacious defenders are crucial in this league, and while ideally, they possess a more consistent shot than Little, there’s time for him to iron that out as he is only 22 years old — three younger than Thubulle.
If Little can model his game after the likes of Robert Covington, Bruce Brown, and even future Sixer P.J. Tucker, he will find much success at the NBA level. That is what the Sixers would be banking on in this deal, and at such a young age, Nassir Little is worth the risk.