Shoring Up the Backup 4

Mike Scott is finished. I'm sorry, but it has to be said.

While you can't fault him for the injuries he's suffered this season, the 32-year-old has been a demonstrative negative when on the court this season. While nobody would have ever confused him as a star, a season ago, he was at the very least a functional floor spacer at 36.9% from deep. This year, he's down to 31.8%, and he isn't moving nearly as well defensively.

He has essentially devolved into the Sixers' version of a hockey enforcer. If the Sixers need an intimidating physical presence that badly, they have Dwight Howard, and at least he provides a vertical threat at the rim and quality interior defense and rebounding even this late into his career in short bursts off the bench.

The Sixers would do well to upgrade the 16.8 minutes that Scott plays behind Tobias Harris. Of course Doc Rivers could mix things up more with certain looks like Ben Simmons at the 4, but ironclading the bench rotation is still a worthwhile endeavor. Having Paul Reed on a two-way deal isn't enough.

All of this is really just an excuse to play some armchair GM and cook up some trades, which is always fun. I'm going to break down three trades here that I think are both plausible and beneficial. I have more than this, but if you thought I was already a bit off my rocker, then those would have only labeled me certifiable.

Let's get to the lab...

Grizzlies focus on the future

Grizzlies receive: C Vincent Poirier, F Mike Scott, 2021 1st round pick, 2021 2nd round pick via Knicks, 2023 2nd round pick (most favorable among Hawks, Hornets, and Nets)

Sixers receive: F Kyle Anderson

This much for Kyle Anderson? Really? The guy with maybe the most nondescript name in the league (though Mike Scott would like a word)? The dude who earned the nickname 'Slo Mo' because his athleticism can charitably described as below average by NBA standards?

Yes. That much for Kyle Anderson. Because you know what? He's really good.

Honestly, the Grizzlies might even turn this deal down, and they might have a compelling case to do so. Anderson is only 27, he's signed through next year for a very reasonable $9.9M, and he plays an extremely well-rounded game and has the ability to match up with wings and some bigs because of his cerebral approach and length. His physical tools (6'9", 7'3" wingspan) have always led to defensive impact plays (1.2 steals and 0.7 blocks in 25.3 minutes per game since 2017).

Best of all, this year, he has evolved into a true threat from deep. After entering this season as a low volume (0.7 attempts per game), low efficiency (31.1%) 3-point shooter, he has shredded nets at 41.4% on 4.0 tries a night. Couple that with strong passing instincts (3.7 assists to 1.6 turnovers) make for an extremely valuable player.

But the Grizzlies have the keys of the future in the very capable hands of Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr., who are both all of 21 years old. They have played better than expected two years in a row now, and Jackson hasn't even played so far this year, and Justise Winslow has seen action in all of 3 games. Their time is coming, but it isn't now, and teams like that should prioritize more throws at the dart board. The Sixers' first figures to be deep into the 20s, but it is nonetheless a first rounder, and the two seconds offer a couple of extra scratch offs.

For the Sixers, Anderson would be a revelation. His tremendous performance this year might even get better when relegated to the bench to compete against second units. I've already touched on his defense, shooting range, playmaking ability. He's kind of like a fusion of Tucker and Bjelica in that way, and thus the heftier price tag. But with that extra year of control, he helps the Sixers beyond just this season, and even if it doesn't work out, he'd become a valuable trade chip or strong salary matching fodder.

Bjelica joins the Sixers--for real this time

Proposed trade--

Kings receive: G Furkan Korkmaz, F Mike Scott, 2021 2nd round draft pick via Knicks*

Sixers receive: F Nemanja Bjelica

I'm not here to rehash the...questionable decisions that Brett Brown made during his interim stint as the Sixers' GM back in 2018 (dammit if Mikal Bridges wouldn't look good for this team right now, though), nor am I here to offer up some revisionist history. In my fictional capacity as the architect of this roster and official capacity as dude in charge of this website, I'm simply here to upgrade this team, and acquiring Nemanja Bjelica makes just as much sense now as it did three years ago.

The Serbian forward has seen his playing time cut by more than 10 minutes per game and has appeared in only 16 games for the Kings. Harrison Barnes playing career-best basketball as a jumbo wing/small ball big and 2018 second overall pick Luka Donc--er, sorry, Marvin Bagley III, representing the future at the position soak up the majority of the time at the 4, and Richaun Holmes and Hassan Whiteside have the center rotation on lock as well, leaving Bjelica on the outskirts of the rotation. And to be fair, he hasn't shot it all that well this season, canning just 28.2% of his triples, worse even than Scott.

But the idea of him still appeals. He has natural power forward size (6'10") that Scott lacks (6'7"), and entered this season as a 39.3% career three-point shooter, including 41.2% over the past three years. It stands to reason that anyone who plays with Simmons, tied for third in the league in assisting on three-pointers, will naturally see their 3-point percentage spike as well, particularly someone with a track record as an elite sniper to begin with. He also rebounds a bit better than Scott (career 12.3 TRB% to 10.7) and is far superior as a passer. He may not be quite as rangy defensively, but his overall impact would make up for that.

Scott would of course have to be included as the salary anchor in this deal, while Korkmaz is the filler. Perhaps with the Kings, the Turkish guard can rediscover some of the magic that made him a viable role player last year for the Sixers, but he's likely no longer in the Sixers future plans. Plus all three named players in this deal are on expiring contracts, meaning no long-term ties if things don't work out. The second round pick feels fair since the Kings are giving up the best player in this deal.

Of course, this all assumes the Kings aren't still shell-shocked from their own past trade misfortune.

Rockets swallow pride and make a trade

Proposed trade--

Rockets receive: G Furkan Korkmaz, F Mike Scott, 2021 2nd round draft pick via Knicks*

Sixers receive: F PJ Tucker

First let me address the elephant in the room: this trade may be unlikely for reasons beyond basketball. Ego is a very real thing, folks, especially among owners of teams and front office executives.

If Tilman Fertitta and Daryl Morey could move past their differences and get this done though? Man, PJ Tucker would be a flawless fit with this roster.

Whereas Bjelica is a very different type of player than Mike Scott, Tucker is instead what Scott is supposed to be. The 35-year-old is a bit shorter (6'5"), but he is build like an absolute brick at 245 lbs, and even at his advanced age, he maintains the ability to switch across multiple positions and relishes in punishing physical contact (3.5 PF per 36 minutes). His versatility would unlock all sorts of fun lineups and sets for the Sixers, and his extreme low maintenance (8.0% usage rate, even lower than Scott's 11.4%) would slide right in unnoticed.

Similar to Scott and Bjelica, Tucker's shot has not fallen this season (32.1% from three), but he hit on 36.7% over the previous four seasons. And crucially, he gets his threes up in a different fashion than the other two--over the course of his career, 71.9% of his threes have come from the corners compared to just 17.0% for Bjelica and 23.7% for Scott, and he has shot 38.1% on those looks over his career, including 39.2% over the same preceding four seasons. The Sixers may not shoot enough threes for my taste (29.1 attempts per game, third fewest; 33.7% of overall shots, fifth lowest), but when they do launch, they like to fire from the short porches (26.6% of threes taken from the corners, fourth highest). Tucker not only fits into what they like to do stylistically, but he would juice the volume.

It also must be said, Tucker is an absolute horse. Before a left thigh contusion knocked him out for two games recently, he had appeared in 267 consecutive games. Since becoming a regular rotation player during the 2012-2013 season, Tucker has played in every regular season game four different times and has never missed more than four games in a single year. Scott has generally been durable, but it just hasn't been in the cards for him this year, as leg injuries have limited him to only 14 appearances.

The framework of this deal would be identical to the Bjelica trade for similar reasons--Tucker is the best player in the deal, and his contract expires at season's end. The Rockets reportedly want three 2nd round picks for Tucker according to The Ringer's Kevin O'Connor, but that may not be feasible, especially with Tucker's disgust with the team public knowledge. Here, they score one second, and perhaps Korkmaz--a 23-year-old former first round pick from 2016 who shot 40.2% from beyond the arc just last year--could pique their interest as a developmental project for the remainder of the season as they transition into their post-Harden years.

*Alternative format to both of these trades: Sixers use their trade exception from the Al Horford deal to absorb these contracts into cap space and send out something like two 2nd round picks instead, but that might be put to better use, but I didn't realize that until after I designed these deals, so....we'll stick with these original frameworks. Besides, that trade exception doesn't expire until December 8, and I trust Morey won't rest this offseason, so that might be more useful then.