Rumor Report: Sixers Eyeing Larry Nance Jr.
Trade season has officially started to kick into high gear. The buyers and sellers are starting to appear, and available players continue to pour out.
One team that has been shopping its players is the Cleveland Cavaliers. While trying to find a trade partner for Andre Drummond, the Cavs have also made other players on their roster available for trades.
Larry Nance Jr. is one player that has been floated around in trade discussions. Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com has reported that the Sixers are one of the teams in the mix for the 28-year-old forward.
Nance has played 19 games for the Cavs season, starting in 18 of them. In those games, he has averaged 9.3 PPG, 6.8 RPG, and 3.2 APG.
Three-point shooting has been an area of Nance's game that has grown in recent seasons. This season he is currently shooting 38.1% on 3.3 attempts per game (both career-highs).
In terms of fit, Nance Jr. would be a nice addition to the second unit. He is a veteran forward who blends in with the team's defensive identity, and his improved shot from deep adds much-needed shooting.
Another thing he brings is playoff experience. Nance Jr. has 20 playoff games on his resume as a member of the 2018 Cavs.
One thing that is intriguing about acquiring Nance is his contract. Along with getting him for this season, he is also under contract for the next two seasons. This opens up the idea of him becoming a bench piece for the future or packaging him in a deal down the road.
Getting a deal like this done is going to cost the Sixers multiple assets. To match his 11.7 million dollar salary the Sixers would need to include Mike Scott, Terrance Ferguson, and one of Bradley/Poirier/Kormaz. Along with adding draft compensation.
The Sixers could benefit from upgrading at the power forward position. Having someone to eat into those minutes so Ben Simmons and Tobias Harris don't have to log big minutes every night is crucial.
Between his play style and playoff experience, Nance would be a solid pickup for the Sixers as they gear up for the postseason. Having him under contract for multiple seasons just makes him more of a good asset long-term. The only real question is if Daryl Morey is okay with using up multiple contracts to get a deal like this done.