Trade options for Markelle Fultz :

With the Philadelphia 76ers recent trade with the Minnesota Timberwolves to acquire Jimmy Butler , there have been many trade rumors surrounding Markelle Fultz. Fultz lost his starting job in favor of J.J. Redick and there are many non-playoffs teams out there who would likely be willing to give up talent and take the risk on hoping Fultz develops into a good player. Here are five possible trades for Markelle Fultz:

The Cleveland Cavaliers :

Why it works:

As of November 15th, the Cavaliers have the worst record in the NBA, and appear to be headed for a long rebuild. Getting Markelle Fultz would the position the Cavaliers more towards the future. Veterans such as J.R. Smith , Kyle Korver , and George Hill likely won’t be there for much longer and the Cavaliers should try to acquire as many young players with potential like Fultz as they can get.

What the Sixers will get in return:

Kyle Korver. Jimmy Butler obviously makes the Sixers a more dangerous team, but losing Robert Covington and Dario Saric weakens their bench. It forces J.J. Redick to replace Fultz in the starting lineup and it moves Wilson Chandler , a three point shooter, into the starting five. As a result, Furkan Korkmaz , a second year player whose game is still very raw, has to step up and provide three point shooting off the bench. While Korkmaz has been fine, having shot 8/17 from deep to this point, Korver is a proven sharpshooter. He has shot at 43.1% over the course of his 16 year career. It also gives the 76ers another veteran with playoff experience.

Final Offer:

76ers trade Markelle Fultz and the Knicks ’ 2020 second-round pick for Kyle Korver and the Hawks ’ 2019 (top-ten protected) first round pick. If the Hawks have a top ten pick this year, then the Cavaliers would get the Hawks’ (top-ten protected) 2020 pick. If the Hawks are in the top ten for both the 2019 and 2020 seasons, the Cavaliers would receive 2021 and 2022 second round picks. The Sixers would get the right to the pick(s) that the Cavaliers end up receiving from Atlanta.

The Phoenix Suns :

Why it Works:

The Phoenix Suns likely aren’t making the playoffs this year, but they’ve shown that they have pieces to build around with Devin Booker , Deandre Ayton and Mikal Bridges. However, they have yet to find their point guard of the future. While Isaiah Canaan has been fine, he isn’t someone to build the future of a team around. Fultz gives them more hope, and playing for a bad team may take the spotlight off him and allow Markelle to just relax. Since the Suns are in no rush to win a championship, they’ll be able to give Markelle Fultz all the time he needs to develop.

What the Sixers will get in Return:

Trevor Ariza . Very similar in a lot of ways to Kyle Korver, Ariza would help the 76ers with three point shooting off the bench and a veteran presence in the locker room. Ariza isn’t as good at three point shooting as Korver, but he’s a much better defender. He has recorded 35.7 defensive win shares and has averaged 1.5 steals per game since he debuted in 2004. He will be a free agent at the end of the season, so assuming Jimmy Butler gets a max deal from the 76ers and Ariza (and J.J. Redick) aren’t given a big deal, the money cleared up from Markelle Fultz would allow the 76ers to sign another player to a max contract in the 2019 offseason.

Final Offer:

76ers trade Markelle Fultz and a protected 2021 Pistons second round pick for Trevor Ariza , Elie Okobo , and a 2022 Suns second round pick.

The Washington Wizards :

Why it works:

Coming into the season with playoff expectations, the Wizards have arguably been the most disappointing team in the East to this point with a 5-9 record. While the East is weaker than the West and the Wizards still have a good shot at making the playoffs, they’re open to hearing trades for John Wall and/or Bradley Beal . Trading for Fultz would likely mean a rebuild for the Wizards. Fultz could be a starting piece for the future while Washington collects draft picks now through trades.

What the Sixers will get in return:

Having to give up at least a draft pick along with Fultz, I see the 76ers trying to go after Bradley Beal . Playing in all 82 games last season, Beal earned his first all-star appearance while averaging 22.6 ppg on 46.0% shooting for the season. Beal would likely take J.J. Redick’s spot in the starting lineup, which would subsequently strengthen the bench. Just imagine a team (not GSW) with four all-stars in the starting lineup. In the same way as Trevor Ariza , by getting rid of Fultz’ contract and not signing J.J. Redick or any other free agents to big deals, the Sixers would have just enough to give both Beal and Butler max contracts. I’ll throw Jeff Green in as well since he is a cheap veteran player who would help the Sixers’ bench.

Final Offer:

76ers trade Markelle Fultz, Landry Shamet , the 2019 first round pick (on the condition that the Sacramento Kings aren’t the first overall pick, in which case the Wizards would get that pick), the Bulls 2019 second round pick, 76ers 2020 first round, a Heat 2021 first round pick, and the 76ers 2022 first round pick for Bradley Beal, Jeff Green , and a Bucks 2020 (top 45 protected) second round pick.

The Orlando Magic :

What the Sixers will get in return:

For this trade to work, Nikola Vucevic would go back to the team that drafted him in 2011. In six seasons with the Magic (not including the start of this season), Vucevic has averaged a double double in four of them. At the start of this season, Vucevic’s biggest improvement has been his three point shooting. To this point he’s shooting a career high 44.1% from deep. Vucevic would likely make the Sixers’ lineup bigger and replace Wilson Chandler in the starting five.

Why it works:

While it’s possible that the Magic do make the playoffs this season as a lower-seeded team, they likely won’t be competing for a title any time soon. Veteran big-man and arguably their best player right now, Vucevic, will be a free agent at the end of the season. Fultz would fit in with the Magic as their starting point guard. Similar to Isaiah Canaan with the Suns, veteran starting point guard D.J. Augustin isn’t a horrible player; but he isn’t going to be a part of the team in the future. Fultz would be given time to develop, with the Magic not expected to be a real competitor in the East until at least the 2020-2021 season. The other piece to this and the reason why this is in a different order than the other trades is because it allows the Magic to give Mo Bamba more playing time. As I’ve mentioned before, I have very high hopes for Bamba. Putting him in the starting five and allowing him to play more may help to speed up his development; and since the Magic are looking towards the future, it seems beneficial for them.

Final Offer:

76ers trade Markelle Fultz, Justin Patton , and the Chicago Bulls 2019 second round pick for Nikola Vucevic

New York Knicks:

Why it Works:

With Kristaps Porzingis out for a while, the Knicks almost definitely won’t make the playoffs this season. One of the Knicks’ biggest problems the last few seasons has been the play of the point guard position. While he’s still young and isn’t necessarily a bust just yet, Frank Ntilikina has had a very underwhelming start to his career, ironically similar to Markelle Fultz. The one factor that would make this trade doubtful is the rumors regarding Kyrie Irving possibly joining the Knicks in the 2019 offseason. However, Kyrie has expressed that he wants to stay in Boston which would make this trade possible. Fultz gives the Knicks a point guard to build their future around, and if he plays well, it’s possible that the Knicks can attract a star in the offseason.

What the Sixers will get in return:

For this trade to work out, the Sixers would likely take on Tim Hardaway Jr. and his massive 4 year $71 million dollar contract. While they wouldn’t have the money for a max contract next season, they’d upgrade J.J. Redick and then have enough money to retain Redick in the 2019 free agency. Through 14 games to start this season, Hardaway has been very solid, averaging 22.9 ppg and taking care of the ball; his turnover rate is a low 8.9%. The Knicks have played through him for most of the season as his usage rate is up at 28.9%, top 20 in the NBA. Overall, Hardaway Jr. would be a solid upgrade for the Sixers and provide the Knicks with more cap space to go after an all-star caliber player in the offseason.

Final Offer:

76ers trade Markelle Fultz and a Bulls 2019 second round pick for Tim Hardaway Jr.

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