NBA Trades: 3 Eastern Conference teams that should make a splash

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – OCTOBER 26: Joel Embiid #21 and Tobias Harris #12 of the Philadelphia 76ers look on during the first half against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on October 26, 2021 in New York City, NBA Trades: 3 Eastern Conference teams that should make a splash. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)

As the February 10 deadline for NBA trades approaches and the activity in the trade market increases, several teams in both conferences look primed to make a big splash.

The deal that sent Cam Reddish to the New York Knicks marked the first notable trade of the window, and with less than a month to go until the deadline, there’s no doubt some bigger moves will follow.

Ben Simmons’ future remains up in the air – with no return to Philadelphia in sight and plenty of teams reportedly interested – and the Indiana Pacers are also reportedly shopping Domantas Sabonis and Myles Turner as they look to embark on a rebuild.

But among all the teams that look ready for a big move, these three in the Eastern Conference stand out as those most suited to making a significant trade before the deadline passes.

NBA Trades: 3 East teams that need to make a splash – Philadelphia 76ers

Why?: The Ben Simmons saga has hung over the Philadelphia 76ers all season long. Despite this, the team has still performed well – thanks largely to Joel Embiid playing at an MVP level. However, they aren’t at quite the same level without Simmons in the team.

There have been no suggestions to say that Simmons will come back and play. This means that the team has someone on a roughly $35 million yearly contract taking up a significant portion of the salary cap, yet they are getting absolutely nothing in return.

Clearly, this isn’t sustainable. The team has a limited window with Embiid to make a push for the title and needs to move Simmons before the trade deadline for the best return possible. That probably won’t mean getting a superstar-level player like Damian Lillard or Bradley Beal.

The longer this situation goes on, the less valuable Simmons becomes, and the more difficult it is to move him. It’s unlikely that the 76ers can make a real push for the title with the way the roster is currently constructed, so using Simmons to build a better team around Embiid now is a must for Philadelphia.

What does the team need?: The success of the Philadelphia 76ers in recent years has been built on the team’s stellar defense. Much of this was because of Simmons, who has consistently been one of the league’s best defenders despite his obvious offensive deficiencies.

Last year, the team had the second-best defense in the league, giving up just 107 points per 100 possessions. So far this season, that number has slipped 108.4, ranking the 76ers as the 11th best defense in the NBA.

Offensively, Tyrese Maxey’s surge as a scorer and Seth Curry’s shooting, alongside Embiid’s brilliance, have kept Philadelphia firmly in the playoff hunt, but the team lacks that versatile defensive presence that Simmons provided.

The team won’t get back someone that can do what he does defensively, but bringing in a wing stopper can help the 76ers get back to last season’s elite defensive performance.

But while Maxey has been fantastic this season, Philadelphia also still lacks something of an offensive partner for Embiid. Perhaps someone that can run pick and roll with him at the point guard spot at a higher level than Maxey.

The preferred option would be to get back a superstar level talent that can do this at an elite level. Though the more likely deal is trading for a handful of players that can perform these roles at a solid level and improve the team overall.

Possible targets?

Damian Lillard, Bradley Beal, CJ McCollum, Tyrese Haliburton, Jerami Grant, Pascal Siakam, Lu Dort