FanPost

Noel for Bledsoe Revisited - Playoff Edition




On January 12th, a brief 10 days ago, I wrote a brilliant (self-indulgent?), detailed and thorough (long winded and tedious?) insightful (delusional?) Fanpost (diatribe?) proposing a trade of Nerlens Noel for Eric Bledsoe. It was done with an eye toward future seasons and it made the case that the trade helped both teams, addressing: offense, defense, player ages, injury histories, draft impact, free agency, salary cap ramifications, roster balance, Jerry's Kid as Man of Action, and each player's zodiac sign along with their favorite colors.

So of course I've changed my mind. At least somewhat.

My three major points at the time were:
1) I personally would keep all the bigs but feel certain the Sixers are committed to trading Noel and/ or Jah and therefore:

2) Noel for Bledsoe makes sense and I'd pull the trigger on that trade BUT

3) if the Suns demanded more value, an expanded version of the trade could be Noel and Rodriguez (expiring contract) for Bledsoe and Tyson Chandler (salary dump). It would be worth considering but at the time I said I'd turn down that version of the trade.

Today, I WOULD trade a Big, namely Noel, and I WOULD do the expanded version of the trade, accepting Chandler and his salary. Why? Well,

"When the facts change, I change my mind. What do you do, sir?"

What's changed? Over the past ten days the Sixers are 5-1 and they've won 8 of 10 overall. This with a backcourt of TJ and Sauce doing their best to channel the Hickory Huskers while Brett Brown paces the sideline like Norman Dale. Xfinity should broadcast the games in black and white. Previously it had never occurred to me that the P word would come up in connection with the Sixers this season. Now a Playoff berth still remains a long-shot with Embiid, beginning this evening, sitting 8 future games due to back to backs and Simmons probably not returning until after the All Star break and even then presumably on a minutes restriction. BUT, as Adam Silver can attest, Sam Hinkie is playing Master of the Universe from a Starbucks in Palo Alto- orchestrating an injury to Rudy Gay, mind-melding Melo to consider waiving his no-trade, blowing Damian Lilliard free throws wide left, etc.

As the Sixers were winning 8 of 10, the Kings, as only they can, lost 8 of 10 and Rudy Gay; their collapse, coupled with the pick swap, removes any reason for the Sixers to tank. Yeah the playoffs are a long shot, but they ARE a shot and one worth pursuing as long as it doesn't sacrifice the future. Under these "new" circumstances I like the trade even more because Bledsoe and Chandler represent huge upgrades in talent and experience for a playoff run THIS year and in near future. Playoff experience for young players could prove invaluable in accelerating the Process without undermining it.

My personal reservations about trading a big were always temporal, a hedge against an Embiid injury as well as an effort to maximize return, an avoidance of "selling low". But there was never a scenario where all three bigs remain Sixers for their entire careers. Somebody would have to go. If the team wants to make a playoff run, Chandler adds real value and his contract is not a burden but instead it provides a player who adds physical defense and world championship experience. The trade addresses both short and long term goals.

Could they make a run? Well Embiid apparently makes all things possible.

Starting five: Embiid, Cov, Ilyasova, Simmons, Bledsoe
2nd five: Chandler/Jah, Henderson, Saric, TJ, Sauce

A defensive backcourt of Simmons and Bledsoe with Jo roaming the paint is a massive upgrade and leads to easy transition points. Offensively, it's vastly superior to TJ and Sauce. And we still retain a talented 20 year old center in Jah and all our draft picks.

JK was brought in to accelerate "The Process". I'm no fan of his but his patience thus far has been admirable and the trade of Grant for Ilyasova indicated an understanding of team building and how the pieces need to fit - Grant has been fine for OKC and Ilyasova has opened the floor for Embiid. If JK can get Bledsoe for Noel, he should do it.

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