NBA Rumors: Sixers planning to trade Al Horford during the offseason?

NBA Rumors: According to a recent report, the Philadelphia 76ers could trade Al Horford during the summer if the right deal presents itself

The Philadelphia 76ers are currently without both Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons, but the hope is that both will return sooner rather than later. Ideally, before the playoffs.

However, even with a fully healthy roster heading into the playoffs, I don’t believe there will be much confidence in the Sixers making a deep run in the postseason. Philadelphia, for the most part, has drastically underwhelmed so far this season and doesn’t seem to have the best fitting pieces on its roster.

One area of concern has to be in the frontcourt, where Embiid and newly acquired Al Horford simply don’t fit all that well. With both Horford and Embiid are both on the floor, the Sixers have a -1.1 net rating. While they’re a better defensive team when both are on the floor, their offense takes a huge hit.

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It’s tough to say if Horford is the main culprit for the team’s struggles this season, and quite frankly it would be unfair to pin it all on him. However, there’s no question that he’s been at least a factor.

According to a report from USA Today, there’s a chance that the Sixers elect to shop Horford during the summer in an attempt to add shooting to the roster.

"[via USA Today]Though the Sixers did not try to move Horford at the trade deadline, that might be a possibility in the off-season – if they can send that contract to another team and get shooting in return – a person with knowledge of the situation told USA TODAY Sports."

Swapping Horford for additional shooting might not be the answer, but the fact that the team is a middle-of-the-pack 3-point shooting team (in terms of both makes and percentage) can’t help a team that is trying to win an NBA Championship in a league that is quickly moving closer and closer to the 3-point line.

The loss of Jimmy Butler was the story that was talked about most regarding the Sixers entering this season. However, the loss of JJ Redick might be hurting the team even more.

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With that said, it could be hard for the Sixers to find a willing trade partner for Horford. Despite his stellar play this season, I find it hard to believe that teams will be lining up to pay Horford $80 million over the next three years.