Philadelphia 76ers: As a potential trade target, how would Chris Paul fit?

How would Chris Paul fit on the Philadelphia 76ers?

The Philadelphia 76ers have “seriously debated the idea of chasing” a trade for Chris Paul, according to Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer.

“But Philadelphia already has a point guard with Ben Simmons?” I hear you ask.

At the start of the Orlando restart, former head coach Brett Brown said he will play Simmons solely at the power forward position which doesn’t mean he’ll have point guard duties, of course, but it made room for Shake Milton and a more perimeter-focused player.

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Long story short, injury to Simmons or not, if Shake Milton is the answer for a playoff team at the starting guard, it’s probably not going to work too well.

So, let’s say the rumors are realized and CP3 ends up in a Philly uniform (side note: the No. 3 is retired by Philadelphia for Allen Iverson, what would Chris wear? That’s it! Deal breaker!) The trade would almost have to include Al Horford or Tobias Harris, each makes $27.5 million and $34.4 million respectively in 2020-21. No team wants those contracts at the moment and the best assets Philly has to sweeten the pot are Matisse Thybulle, Zhaire Smith, and OKC’s 2020 first-round pick (funny) and Philly’s own draft pick until the rest of eternity

Their potential lineup would be Paul, Josh Richardson, Harris, Mike Scott (unless the position is addressed in the offseason), and Joel Embiid.

Does that win a title?

Honestly, a 35-year-old point guard, plus the team that underperformed all season, that’s a bit grim.

But when it comes to playoff time, if the Sixers get the CP3 we just watched, a 21.3-point, 5.3-assist, and 7.4-rebound go-to scorer and facilitator, now that’s something to get Sixers fans excited.

In the regular season, he’d be a massive upgrade over Raul Neto and Shake as well as a stable head on a team that was starving for consistency all season long. Plus, maybe they’re a chance at road games with a “gamer” on their squad.

What does Simmons do on offense when CP3 has the ball? We all know Ben’s relationship with the 3-point line so then you put him in the dunker’s spot, waiting for dump-offs. But then if he’s sharing the court with Embiid, he’ll also be in the paint, adding another defender at the rim unless he sits behind the arc, pulling one of the league’s best big men away from the rim.

But let’s link back to the start of The Process, the vision that Sam Hinkie had for this team when he was putting together this team…or dismantling. His idea was to pull the team down, tank for high draft picks and draft superstars, difference-makers, and build a team naturally. One of the reasons, I assume, he did this is to avoid the treadmill of mediocrity and build the next OKC through the draft, grabbing three MVPs in Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden.

Unfortunately, Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid are more in line with that trio than Michael Carter-Williams, Jahlil Okafor and Nerlens Noel but that’s just the luck of the draft.

Did Hinkie imagine a world when the Sixers would trade for an aging star in CP3, a guy who’s best years might not only be behind him but are going to be in year one of the trade? It might shorten their title window drastically, cutting it from “as long as Simmons and Joel are under the age of 30” to “we need to act quickly before Chris either retires, takes a head coaching job or drops off a cliff’”

Also, I think maybe he’ll pick up the $44.2 million player option he’ll have for the 2021-22 season.

If the trade goes through, Philly will be paying the trio of Simmons, Embiid, and Paul roughly $107.37 in 2021-22. The NBA salary cap (pending any COVID-19 changes) is currently at $109 million.

But maybe it’s because of this that this trade isn’t all too foolish. If the Sixers trade for a guy who used to be the best guard in the league, they’ll get better. They won’t be three MVPs better, but they’ll have a better team than they do at the moment and are more likely to win a title.

When the 2022 offseason rolls around and CP3’s contract expires, Embiid will be 28, Simmons will be 26 and the Paul contract will have expired, giving them ammo to go shopping in free agency, putting a different team around their core of Embiid and Simmons and having another crack at a title.

I jumped ahead a lot there. Let’s focus on the present – do Philly have the best offer for Chris Paul? We’ll have to see which other teams put their hats in the ring and wait and see.

The Sixers have to ask themselves if this trade vaults them into contention more than any other deal out there. Or would they be better off staying still and looking at what a healthy playoff run looks like? I don’t envy Elton Brand and the Sixers brass.