Philadelphia 76ers Receive: G Lonzo Ball
New Orleans Pelicans Receive: G Tyrese Maxey, G Furkan Korkmaz, F Mike Scott, PHI 2022 1st Round Pick
As things stand right now, the Pelicans do not necessarily look like a playoff team this year, but next year, they could end up being a really solid team in the Western Conference. Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram continue to grow into legit NBA superstars and with other young players stepping up around them, this team has a chance to be special moving forward.
So why not trade Lonzo Ball to the 76ers and get some solid, young players to build with moving forward? Tyrese Maxey has been great during his rookie year and Furkan Korkmaz is an established three-point threat. Not to mention, a first-round pick in 2022 can go a long way in the Pelicans potentially getting another high-level rookie.
Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid were both NBA All-Stars last season for the 76ers and are two All-NBA type talents. With key additions such as Danny Green, Seth Curry and Dwight Howard during the offseason, the Philadelphia 76ers finally seem like they have a legit team that can contend in the Eastern Conference.
The biggest concern for this 76ers team though is their depth in the backcourt. Behind Ben Simmons, this team does not have a true floor general who can make plays for others. Shake Milton is more of a scorer than he is a facilitator and the same goes for Seth Curry.
Adding Lonzo Ball to this 76ers team gives them a second playmaker and could really expand their offense. Last season, the 76ers ranked 8th in the league in assists per game, but with the addition of Ball, Philadelphia could end up being the best passing team in the league.
Ben Simmons is probably the second-best passer in the entire league behind LeBron James and adding another big time facilitator in Lonzo Ball makes this 76ers team even more difficult to defend. Not to mention, Ben Simmons could move into the low-post and be a pass first type of big man, opening up the court a lot more for the 76ers’ shooters like Curry and Green.
For the Pelicans, getting a rookie standout in Maxey could be huge for their guard depth and a player like Kormaz could thrive next to another high-level three-point shooter in J.J. Redick. The veteran Mike Scott could also have a big role with the Pelicans in their pursuit to make the playoffs, as they have virtually no depth behind Zion Williamson and Steven Adams in the frontcourt.
