Matt Slocum/Associated Press
The Philadelphia 76ers already made headlines when they traded for Jimmy Butler, but they reportedly may not be done wheeling and dealing this season.
According to Sean Deveney of Sporting News, the 76ers may be willing to move a first-round pick in a trade that landed them “a big man who can shoot.” Deveney listed Mike Scott, Frank Kaminsky and Noah Vonleh as prototypes for such a player but noted Philadelphia has kept the Miami Heat‘s 2021 first-round pick it controls out of trade discussions should it develop into a particularly valuable one.
Deveney noted the 76ers have missed Dario Saric’s “ability to stretch the floor” since they traded him and Robert Covington to acquire Butler. Both players could hit from the outside and take advantage of openings created by Ben Simmons and others.
Philadelphia is a middling 15th in the league in three-point percentage, and Simmons is not a threat from the outside even as its primary ball-handler. He has not attempted a three-pointer this season after missing all 11 of his attempts as a rookie, which allows opposing defenses to pack the inside in an effort to cut off his driving lanes.
Elsewhere, Butler is shooting 38.6 percent from deep, but his three attempts a night would be his lowest mark since his second season in the league in 2012-13 when he was on the Chicago Bulls.
JJ Redick is the 76ers’ go-to shooter from downtown, but he has missed the last two games with a back injury.
An additional shooter in the frontcourt for Philadelphia could pull bigs away from the rim, opening up post play for Joel Embiid or driving lanes for Simmons and Butler. The 76ers are the No. 4 seed in the East, but they will ultimately be judged by their performance in the postseason against fellow Eastern Conference contenders in the Milwaukee Bucks, Toronto Raptors, Boston Celtics and Indiana Pacers.
Another shooter would alleviate the pressure on the Big Three in those playoff battles.
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