Check out the original article, from Philly.com, here.
--
As the 2014 NBA Draft draws continuously closer, it seems
less and less likely that Thaddeus Young will be a Sixer at the start of next
season.
Trade speculation has swirled around Young since last
summer, when fellow Sixer mainstay Jrue Holiday was traded for the betterment
of the franchise’s future. Since draft day, it has seemed like only a matter of
time until the flexible forward was moved for picks or pieces. Many expected
Young to be moved on trade deadline day along with Spencer Hawes and Evan
Turner. In the end however, Young remained on the roster.
Young being traded from the only team he has known in his
seven seasons as a professional will have little to do with his true talent, or
his character. It will be strictly about franchise fit.
There are just too many intriguing options in the upcoming
draft for the Sixers not to explore, and to maximize their potential picks.
Young is one of the few players on the Sixers’ roster that
could be very valuable as a trade chip. While he is still only 25 years old,
Young is seven seasons in to his professional career, and is noticeably older
than the core the Sixers are looking to build and develop. While Young could be
valuable as a locker room guy and a veteran presence, he has a player option
after the upcoming season, and the Sixers run the risk of losing him anyway. Thus,
it makes some sense for the Sixers to move Young this summer while they can
control where he goes and what they receive in return; an option they are
obviously exploring.
But what would they get for Young, and where would he end
up?
Image from philly.com |
It has already been reported that the Sixers would be
willing to ship Young, along with the third overall pick in the 2014 Draft, to
Cleveland for the draft’s top pick. Although such a move would ensure the
Sixers of landing Andrew Wiggins, their top target, it seems somewhat unlikely.
While Cleveland’s front office has admitted being open to
trading the pick for the right price, it seems unlikely that Young is that
price. Cleveland wants a young stud that they can build around, along the lines
of Kevin Love, Al Horford, or Lamarcus Aldridge, and while he is extremely
talented, Young doesn’t quite fit the bill. He is likely better suited for a
team that already has a core constructed so that he can just come in and
contribute; much like his former teammate Andre Iguodala has been able to do in
Golden State.
There also remains the chance that Andrew Wiggins will be
available at the third selection spot, which would nullify the Sixers’ need to
move up to the top spot. This would allow them to use Young as trade bait
elsewhere.
Another option would be to trade Young and the tenth overall
pick to a team like the Lakers or the Celtics to move back up into the
lottery’s top tier. This would allow the Sixers to secure their scorer/go-to
perimeter player at three, while also adding a formidable forward to further
fortify the frontcourt. Noaween picks four and
nine; or just out of the reach of the Sixers’ second selection. Moving up a few
picks h Vonleh, Julius Randle, and Aaron Gordon are top talents at the forward spot and are all projected to go betwould allow access to one of these forwards. They could pair the pick
with Nerlens Noel to begin to form a frontcourt foundation. With a potential
lineup along the lines of: Carter-Williams/Wiggins/Randle/Noel, the Sixers
would have a great young core with which to build upon.
ESPN NBA Insider Chad Ford agrees that this could be a solid
scenario for the Sixers, although they may have to take on Steve Nash’s
expiring contract.
Still another option for Young come draft day could be
packaging him with some of the Sixers’ several second round picks to move back
up into the later first round.
This draft is deep and there will be a lot of talent landing
outside of the lottery. The Sixers need size and shooting, and trading back
into the later first round would give them an opportunity to address those
issues. A team like the Phoenix Suns, who have multiple first round picks, may
be willing to part with one of their picks for a player like Young.
Young has been nothing short of excellent through his seven
seasons with the Sixers, but the team is looking to build from the bottom with
a young, athletic core. Young’s production and versatility make him valuable across
the league’s landscape, and with draft day rapidly approaching, the Sixers are
considering all options.
No comments:
Post a Comment