The Philadelphia 76ers experienced quite the major shuffle this offseason. After a mass exodus of their own free agents, Daryl Morey and the entire front office pivoted to the best options they could find on the market, starting with Paul George, a nine-time All-Star who stands to drastically raise the team's ceiling as a title contender.
By all shots, though, the 76ers are extremely unlikely to end the season with the same personnel they will be starting it with. There's a ton of urgency for the club to snap a long championship drought, and you can bet on Philly's brass to get aggressive on the trade market. How will they thrive as a prospective seller, though? Here is a definitive ranking of each player on the roster by their trade value.
13. Reggie Jackson
While the 13-year veteran definitely showed that he still has something left in the tank with his passable play as the nominal sixth man for a title contender, Reggie Jackson is unlikely to garner much traction as a trade chip should the 76ers throw the bait. At this point in his career, he's simply much better off as depth insurance at guard with his rim penetration and streaky shooting.
12. KJ Martin
Philadelphia puzzlingly inked KJ Martin to a two-year deal worth $8 million annually this offseason, hoping to maximize him as a salary-matcher for when the team inevitably dangles him in the trade market. His value as a player isn't high at present, but there's perhaps a functional lever to pull with his athleticism, independent of his status as a salary attachment.
11. Eric Gordon
Similar to Jackson, Eric Gordon remained a useful role player for the Phoenix Suns last season, but he's now a shell of his former self. The former Sixth Man of the Year can still hoist up shots from anywhere, but hoisting and hitting are two, different things, and the 35-year-old's prowess at draining them has declined more than you think.
10. Adem Bona
Philadelphia's drafting of Adem Bona was well-received by many, but touting him as a viable trade asset is presumptuous at this juncture. While the young big man boasts some promise with his motor and activity, the amount of win-now teams precludes him from being a target, especially as a raw prospect still needing actual NBA reps.
9. Andre Drummond
It wasn't too long ago that Andre Drummond was regarded as an all-stats, low-impact guy. Since his permanent move to the bench, though, he's managed to rehabilitate his value as one of the best backup centers in the NBA. The 76ers are unlikely to flip a crucial role player like him, but if they do, a bunch of contenders would line up a solid collection of second-round picks for his services.
8. Kyle Lowry
Kyle Lowry belongs to the same situational bracket as Jackson and Gordon, but he is a tier or two above his compatriots because he can still play significant minutes when needed, albeit with less frequency. The six-time All-Star is no longer a high-usage offensive conduit, but he's still a productive three-point threat who can set the table for others off primary creators.
7. Ricky Council IV
Named the 76ers' hidden weapon in the upcoming 2024-25 campaign, the Ricky Council IV experience should be a pleasant one next season for the team. While he's not expected to tally a ton of court time to start the year off, barring anything cataclysmic, he should find himself as a key rotation piece, if not an outright starter, thanks to his defensive aptitude, youth, and rim pressure on offense.
6. Jared McCain
Jared McCain, who somehow fell to the 76ers' laps with the 16th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, was quite the mixed bag during the Summer League. Nevertheless, his prowess as a legitimate three-level scorer makes him a worthy investment for the future. Philadelphia is unlikely to put him on the trading block, but if they do, teams pivoting to a youth movement would line up for him.
5. Kelly Oubre Jr.
Kelly Oubre Jr. was initially pegged as a tough name to re-sign for the 76ers due to his contract setup, but the front office managed to convince him to return to Philly for another go-round in yet another discounted deal. Accounting for his bargain deal, as long as he doesn't regress offensively and retains the same willingness he exhibited defensively last season, he should be a sneaky trade target for teams in need of firepower at the wings.
4. Caleb Martin
Following a contract blunder, Caleb Martin found himself landing in Philadelphia where he's expected to be one of the starters alongside the franchise's star-studded trio. But individually speaking, there's a lot to like about the 28-year-old.
While definitely undersized as a forward, Martin is a persistent defender who can capably defend most non-post operators despite giving up a lot of size defensively. On the scoring end, he rarely makes mistakes, and is uncanny at attacking closeouts and finding seams in the opposing defense to score and sneak in passing opportunities as a functional connector.
3. Paul George
The 76ers' flagship addition this summer, Paul George arrives to Philly carrying with him much loftier expectations this time around. While already nearing the end of his prime at 34 years old, he's still easily an All-Star caliber player who fills a pressing need for the team and actually bolsters it to a hundred.
George, still a dangerous perimeter force who can playmake, defend the opposing team's best player, and create for himself, should be a seamless fit next to Joel Embiid's post-heavy exploits and Tyrese Maxey's endless pursuit of chasing pace and space. Last season, he turned in career-highs in all shooting categories –– something that should excite 76ers fans this upcoming season.
2. Tyrese Maxey
Tyrese Maxey broke out last season en route to a Most Improved Player plum. Not playing under James Harden's shadow anymore, he quickly thrived as the 76ers' lead guard and turned in a wildly impressive campaign depsite adjusting to a full-blast point guard role –– something he never fully assumed before.
With another All-Star season in the cards and a new max contract behind him, Maxey will remain as Philadelphia's resident Robin. Even better, he still has a lot to improve as a playmaker, and should he fully realize that part of his game, the 76ers should be in for a hell of a treat this season.
1. Joel Embiid
Coming off a very productive summer as part of the US delegation in Paris that won gold, Joel Embiid is poised to approach the season while firing on all cylinders. He was easily the favorite to win Most Valuable Player last season before coming down to a knee injury, and as long as health permits, he's pretty capable of bagging his second MVP trophy with the 76ers expected to win more during the regular season.
There are urgent calls for the coaching staff to shave off a chunk of his minutes and responsibilities on both ends, but even a reduction in minutes may not be enough to throttle him numbers-wise. He sat out a lot of fourth quarters last season due to his dominant play, and should the 76ers be in the position to afford that luxury, they could be hitting two birds with a stone by resting their best player while still handily winning games.
