Nerlens Noel (Photo : NBAE via Getty Images)
The Philadelphia 76ers could acquire Emmanuel Mudiay and Nikola Vucevic in a four-way deal involving the Denver Nuggets, Orlando Magic and Sacramento Kings.
It could only be a matter of time before the 76ers move Nerlens Noel to address the team's frontcourt logjam. With Noel finally returning from injury, several teams could have a clear look at what the 22-year-old center can bring on the table.
The high demand for a defensive big man in the league should leave the 76ers with plenty of options if they ultimately decide on trading Noel. But Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders have a more intriguing and complicated scenario Philadelphia could consider.
In Kyler's proposed deal, the 76ers would send out Noel to Denver and Robert Covington to Sacramento, while acquiring Nikola Vucevic from the Magic and Emmanuel Mudiay from the Nuggets. The Kings would then move Rudy Gay and Omri Casspi to Orlando, and send Skal Labissiere to Denver, getting in return CJ Watson (Magic) and Wilson Chandler (Nuggets).
As Kyler concluded, "the 76ers come out with Vucevic and Mudiay, better fitting pieces to the roster they have and a strong option at point guard going forward. There is still some duplication at the center position, but Vucevic could play more of a stretch four role in Philly, and his deal is very team friendly."
This deal would make sense for the 76ers, who could certainly need a talented point guard. Sixers coach Brett Brown has indicated he plans on starting Ben Simmons at the PG spot, but adding another young talented floor general like Mudiay would take some pressure off Simmons once he returns from a fractured right foot. Adding Vucevic would give Philadelphia another scoring big man, and while it would still form a crowded frontcourt, his skills could be more utilized than the 76ers' other options at the four or five spot.
Meanwhile, the Nuggets' potential acquisition of Noel and Labissiere could boost the team's interior defense, although it would still create a logjam at the frontcourt. But as Kyler noted, if the Nuggets could extract picks from each teams involved in the four-way deal, it is something to consider, especially for a rebuilding team.
It seems unlikely the 76ers facilitate a multi-team deal for Noel, but if it offers an opportunity to acquire talented pieces that could help the franchise become relevant again, Philly should take its chances.
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