The Philadelphia 76ers continue to power through the season as unending reports and rumors surface around the team. With the Ben Simmons saga still unsolved, the Sixers appear to be waiting on the perfect trade situation to arise.
There has been a recent report by David Early of Liberty Ballers about the Sixers having internal discussions centered around Oklahoma City guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Early reports that the organization has had discussions about inquiring Gilgeous-Alexander in a potential Ben Simmons swap.
With that being said, how realistic could it be for the Sixers to acquire SGA? We know it was reported that Daryl Morey had a list of 30 players he would be interested in acquiring in a Simmons trade, and this looks like confirmation that SGA is on that list.
Gilgeous-Alexander is a good up young player and looks to be the cornerstone of the Thunder’s franchise moving forward. He recently signed a rookie max contract extension worth $172 million spanning five years. The Thunder could be interested in trading SGA but would more than likely take a “godfather offer” to consider. Take a look at two trades that could POSSIBLY get Gilgeous-Alexander in a Sixers uniform:
Sixers Mortgage the Future
In this scenario, The 76ers mortgage the farm in order to get SGA to Philly. The Sixers would receive Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Darius Bazley, and the Thunder would acquire Ben Simmons, Tyrese Maxey, three first-round picks (including two pick swaps). This trade could get the Sixers a budding star guard to grow next to Embiid and possibly lead the franchise when Embiid fades out of his prime. The Thunder get more draft capital to build around a young team headlined by Simmons, Maxey, and Josh Giddey and speed up their rebuild.
Would Thunder General Manager Sam Presti even consider this deal? Would Morey even consider selling the farm for SGA? It’s tough to say. SGA played for Doc his rookie year, and Rivers could push to get a player he has publicly praised when playing for the Clippers. Ultimately, it would take a lot for either team to accept the terms of a deal between the two of them. Maybe a third team would have to get involved.
Three Team Mania
In this scenario, Philadelphia, Minnesota, and Oklahoma City agree on a three-team trade that theoretically works for all sides. The Sixers would acquire Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the Timberwolves would acquire Ben Simmons, and the Thunder would receive a collection of NBA vets and young players and four first-round picks and two additional pick swaps.
This trade would allow the Sixers and T’Wolves to get the players they covet, and the Thunder would be the landing ground for picks and players that neither Philadelphia nor Minnesota want to take back. The picks would be the Thunders’ way of recouping assets for losing a franchise cornerstone and Minnesota getting the player they want. The Thunder could use the picks to help their rebuild and make a play for stars in the future.
Ultimately, it would be rather costly to try to pry SGA away from the Thunder, and if the Sixers are going to use assets, it should be someone more along the timeline of Joel Embiid’s prime.
