Ranking realistic trade destinations for Philadelphia 76ers swingman Caleb Martin...
1. Oklahoma City Thunder
This would be the best trade partner the Sixers can find for Martin, primarily because he could help the Sixers out of a jam. The top-six protected first-round pick that the Sixers owe the Thunder due to the Al Horford trade has become an elephant they can’t ignore. This season has been a disaster for them, and Philadelphia may not even get a first-round pick for their troubles.
Earlier, a package was floated in which the Sixers would trade Guerschon Yabusele to the Thunder, where they would, in return, essentially give the pick the Sixers owe them back. That is the right idea, but Yabusele would not be enough to convince the Thunder to make that deal. Adding Martin to that package would.
The Thunder are making a playoff push, and they want all their bases covered. Martin’s appeal to them is that he is a playoff hero who has proven that he can punch well above his weight. He’s proven this against the Boston Celtics, a team that he, for some reason, always plays like a star against.
It’d be easy to match contracts between the two sides, and the Sixers could ask for one of the Thunder’s plethora of first-round picks. Maybe Oklahoma City would be hesitant to give up the Sixers pick back to them, given its value. The one advantage the Sixers would have in trade negotiations with the Thunder is that if that pick isn’t conveyed to Oklahoma City, it loses its value, so Martin at least gives them something.
The Thunder will push for the NBA Finals this season. There’s a strong chance they may go up against the Celtics if they make it that far. With perhaps the biggest Celtics killer on their squad, that might be enough to beat them. In this scenario, the Thunder get the guy that pushes over the hump, the Sixers get bailed out of a problem, and they prevent one of their biggest rivals from repeating as champions. Everyone wins.
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