The Cleveland Cavaliers are believed to be shopping the No. 1 pick. Consider the Philadelphia 76ers to be in the market.
According to the ESPN NBA draft insider Chad Ford, the Sixers have inquired about trading for the Cavs’ top pick in the upcoming NBA draft and would be willing to include forward Thaddeus Young as part of the deal.
This is a dream scenario for the 76ers. They would take Wiggins at No. 1 if they could, and having him fall to No. 3 would be a godsend. The Sixers actually have engaged the Cavs about moving to No. 1. They aren’t willing to give up both the Nos. 3 and 10 picks, but a combination of No. 3 and Thaddeus Young is a possibility.
The Sixers hold the third and 10th overall picks in the draft, but are not willing to surrender both. They would, however, be willing to trade the No. 3 pick along with Young to move into the top spot.
Young, 25, is signed through the 2014-15 season and set to earn $9.41 million. He holds a player option for the 2015-16 campaign and will hit free agency the following season.
By trading him away now, Philly could potentially get value for him now before he walks either next summer or in 2016.
Young averaged a career-high 17.9 points per game this past season, along with 6.0 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game. He shot almost 50 percent from the field, too.
76ers general manager Sam Hinkie has not been shy about trading away the team’s most valuable pieces. He traded away Jrue Holiday to the New Orleans Pelicans during the 2013 NBA draft, and has since been rumored to be willing to trade away reigning Rookie of the Year Michael Carter-Williams.
Previously, the Cavaliers have been rumored to want to trade the first overall pick for a talented big man. Kevin Love, Joakim Noah, LaMarcus Aldridge and Al Horford were all mentioned as possible trade targets.
