May 31, 2025
Is there any better way to kick off a weekend than with fake trades?
In lieu of any actual news surrounding the Sixers, who continue to ramp up their decision-making process with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, here are some recent trade machine creations I have come up with:
During my trade machine journeys — they happen far too often this time of year — I often search for teams around the league with an obvious logjam in some area of its rotation and figure out if any of the players they could look to move might be a sensible fit with the Sixers. With Cooper Flagg set to join P.J. Washington, Anthony Davis, Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford in a crowded frontcourt rotation — with all but Davis set for new contracts very soon — it stands to reason that Gafford or Washington could be available for the right price.
Washington is a better fit with much higher upside for the Sixers, but he would also come at a much more significant price. Gafford, meanwhile, would be a high-end backup center behind Joel Embiid who is genuinely capable of filling in as a starter when Embiid goes down. Could Dallas have interest in adding a wing with some scoring punch to its depleted perimeter rotation while also restocking at the five?
This is the framework I ended up settling on:
| Sixers receive... | Mavericks receive... |
| Daniel Gafford | Kelly Oubre Jr. |
| Andre Drummond | |
| Adem Bona |
For Dallas, the sell is bolstering a wing rotation in need of reinforcements and, rather than having to pay or lose Gafford next year, being able to develop Bona — a player in the archetypal mold the Mavericks have liked in the past — on an inexpensive four-year contract. Drummond is just here to make the salaries match, but perhaps Dallas views him as a viable option.
Gafford is likely a better overall player than Oubre, but would it be a worthwhile endeavor for the Sixers to make this deal and sacrifice some of their wing depth when there is a chance Bona turns into a strong backup down the line? With Gafford set for a new deal in short order, is there any guarantee he would not leave for a full-time starting role unless the Sixers made a blatant overpay?
Bona is a very real, tantalizing prospect, and Oubre is a quality rotation wing. But the biggest red flag for the Sixers here would probably be Gafford's contractual status and the understandable expectation that the soon-to-be 27-year-old could pursue other opportunities.
MORE: Negotiating trades down from No. 3 with other NBA writers
| Sixers receive... | Pistons receive... |
| Simone Fontecchio | Andre Drummond |
| Lonnie Walker IV | |
| Ricky Council IV | |
| 2028 DET top-55 protected second-round pick |
MORE: Sixers-specific scouting reports of top prospects in 2025 NBA Draft
The Sixers and Wizards were trade partners in February, making a deal swapping Reggie Jackson and a first-round pick with Jared Butler and four second-round picks. The deal was a win for the Sixers, who shedded Jackson's salary while upgrading to Butler and turning what will almost certainly be one of the last picks of the first round in 2026 into four second-round picks with genuine chances of being picks in the 30s.
Perhaps the teams can strike another deal. I came up with this concept, which includes Washington getting back the one pick they sent the Sixers in the winter which actually belonged to them, and the Sixers shedding Drummond's salary while betting on a young player coming off an ACL injury:
| Sixers receive... | Wizards receive... |
| Saddiq Bey | Andre Drummond |
| 2025 Pick No. 40 | Ricky Council IV |
| 2025 Pick No. 35 | |
| 2030 WAS second-round pick |
The Wizards signed Bey, 26, to a three-year, $19 million contract before last season, knowing he would miss the entire year after tearing his ACL late in the prior season. It was a below-market deal relative to Bey's age and production, and with no intentions of short-term wins, Washington wisely bought low. If Bey's medicals look clean over a year removed from the injury, he will be considered a trade asset.
Bey is a flawed player, but there is no denying his skill. He is one of the higher-volume three-point shooters in the entire NBA, with an impressive 10.2 long-range tries per 100 possessions over the course of his career. He is a sturdy, strong wing who can rebound. With two years and about $12.5 million left on his contract, perhaps the Sixers can make a relatively low-risk move on Bey at the cost of Council, a distant second-rounder and a very minor move down the board in the second round.
Speaking of Council, the Wizards having genuine belief that he at least remains somewhat of an NBA prospect after his brutal sophomore campaign would do a whole lot to get this deal across the finish line. Otherwise, they would likely be able to do better than this deal.
MORE: Identifying Sixers' strong options at No. 35 based on recent drafting history
