Much has been made about the Philadelphia 76ers’ early-season struggles. A team that has been in the same boat as them is the Sacramento Kings.
While the Sixers have not tried to change anything, the Kings certainly have. After their poor start, the Kings fired coach Mike Brown. Brown helped the Kings attain some modicum of success for the first time in years, and the Kings have a lot of ground to make up, so they have a lot to prove if they want to make a championship run.
If they don’t, the Kings may have to make some moves, and the Sixers just might be the ones who could bail them out. De’Aaron Fox sounds appealing, but he’s expensive, and it’s debatable whether he’s better than Tyrese Maxey. One possible option is six-time All-Star DeMar DeRozan.
DeRozan is still putting up good numbers this season, averaging 20.9 points, 4 assists, and 3.9 rebounds while shooting almost 49%. DeRozan admitted that he considered joining the Sixers before joining the Kings on Paul George’s podcast, so the Sixers clearly saw value in him in the past.
The following trade could work between the Sixers and Kings.
Sixers receive: DeRozan
Kings receive: KJ Martin, Kelly Oubre Jr., Eric Gordon, Reggie Jackson, Kyle Lowry
What DeRozan brings to the Sixers
There might be some justified hesitance to take DeRozan and his three-year contract worth almost $74 million. That’s why throwing in Keon Ellis as a sweetener could get a deal done.
DeRozan does not solve the Sixers’ floor spacing issues, but he does provide them with a playmaker they sorely lack. The Sixers also don’t have much scoring in their second unit, and that’s something DeRozan can help with because he’d be perfect to run the offense when the starters rest.
Add in Jared McCain, who may or may not come back this season, and the Sixers could get a whole lot tougher to stop.
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