The Philadelphia 76ers are in a peculiar position at the moment sitting at 10-9 after dealing with a slew of injuries and some inconsistent play up and down the lineup. Of course, the beginning of the season is all about getting the team to jell together and Philadelphia hasnβt exactly had that chance.
Therefore, some mock trades have begun to surface for the Sixers in terms of looking to make some type of upgrades to the team.
A new mock trade put together by Bleacher Report has the Sixers acquiring the athletic John Collins from the Atlanta Hawks in a deal. Collins is a superb athlete who can step in and provide some solid play on both ends of the floor.
The fake trade proposal
Philadelphia 76ers Receive:Β F/C John Collins, SG Bogdan BogdanoviΔ
Atlanta Hawks Receive:Β PF Tobias Harris, SF Matisse Thybulle, G Shake Milton
B/R on why the Sixers do this deal
With Collins and Harris both popping up in trade talks recently, why not explore a swap built around the pair of power forwards?
Collins is younger, cheaper, carries more upside than Harris and canβt dunk on Joel Embiid anymore if the two are teammates. Adding BogdanoviΔ off the bench gives Phillyβs second unit some added scoring and playmaking as well.
Analyzing the deal from a Sixers standpoint
The biggest thing about trading Harris right now is how important he is to Philadelphiaβs chances. While Collins may possess a hire upside and he is definitely cheaper, Harris is the glue guy for the Sixers. He is the one who makes sure Philadelphia is up and ready to play as the vocal leader of this group.
One would have to ask how much the Sixers actually value his leadership and his ability to be that guy in the locker room as well as his production out on the floor. Collins runs the floor, he defends, he has great lateral quickness, and he can step out and shoot the 3-ball, but Harris really is a terrific No. 4 option for this group despite his hefty salary.