Among the most shocking twists during the NBA Draft lottery was that the Utah Jazz had their worst-case scenario, getting the fifth overall pick, and that the Philadelphia 76ers avoided disaster by getting the No. 3 pick. Don't look now, but suddenly, the Sixers and the Jazz could actually work as trade partners.
The Athletic's Sam Vecenie recently revealed some surprising intel that should definitely catch the eyes of the Jazz's fanbase.
"Philadelphia is also expected to be aggressive in how it looks to utilize its luck in winning the No. 3 pick," Vecenie wrote. "...It’s expected that the Sixers will listen to offers for No. 3, but it’s unclear whom the team would take if it stays.
But wait, there's more! And it's about the Jazz. Even if it's not intel, it's something worth thinking about.
"Ultimately, I wonder if the best option might be to see if there is a team that wants to jump ahead of the Charlotte Hornets, Utah Jazz, and New Orleans to take a flier on Bailey or Edgecombe."
With this intel, SLC Dunk's James Hansen floated a trade between the Sixers and Jazz in which the following would happen.
76ers receive: Lauri Markkanen, No. 21 pick
Jazz receive: Paul George, No. 3 pick
This isn't the first time a hypothetical trade swapping George for Markkanen involving picks has come up. The most obvious reason the Sixers would consider a swap like this is to get bailed out of George's contract. The most obvious reason the Jazz would consider a swap like this is getting the No. 3 pick.
However, Philadelphia would likely play hard to get as the Jazz have the No. 5 pick, which the Sixers would likely want. However, trading the best player in the deal to trade up only two spots seems drastic. Plus, it's Daryl Morey, and he has a knack for pulling fantastic deals when no one expects him to.
With all of that out there, this deal would make sense for the Sixers even if the No. 5 pick weren't to be included.
Why it works better for the Sixers than people think
The deal makes sense for Philadelphia for two primary reasons: they get out from under George and get the best player in the deal with Markkanen onboard. He's coming off a lackluster season, but Markkanen is only 27, and the NBA has seen what he looks like when he's playing for a team that's not tanking.
They also save money from the trade, as George will make $7 million more than Markkanen next season. Another benefit is getting bailed out of paying a high lottery pick, even if that may not make sense on the surface. The Sixers have some free agents they'd like to keep, Quentin Grimes and Guerschon Yabusele, so adding a high lottery pick to the cap could pose some problems.
Even if high lottery picks are cost-controlled, that's over $10 million in additional payroll, which can muck up their hopes of keeping Grimes and Yabusele. With that no longer an option, they would have the freedom to keep those two without worrying about crossing those dreaded NBA tax aprons.
There's definitely some young talent that would be worthy of being the No. 3 pick, but that talent needs time in the oven. That's not time the Sixers have since their intentions are still to build a contender around Joel Embiid.
A team like the Sixers don't need a high lottery talent to develop. They need a win-now star like Markkanen, the cap flexibility to keep valued rotation players, and a team to take George off their hands. The Jazz check off all those boxes, and if all it would take was giving up the No. 3 pick, that's not the worst trade ever.
This is a swap where everyone wins if both teams get what they want. The Jazz get more young talent, the Sixers simultaneously improve and maintain their rotation, and Markkanen gets to play for a team that would benefit greatly from what he does on the floor.