Sixers NBA trade proposal: Nikola Mirotic, E’Twaun Moore

With the NBA trade deadline being less than 10 days away, the Philadelphia 76ers are reportedly searching the market for a wing player and center.

Last week, we wrote about two players that could be of help to the Sixers in Miami Heat guard Wayne Ellington and Detroit Pistons forward Reggie Bullock. Both players would not cost a ton in terms of draft capital and give Philly another competent three-point shooter.

However, in addition to those players, the Sixers should also be looking at New Orleans Pelicans forward Nikola Mirotic and guard E’Twaun Moore.

The Pelicans could be on the verge of a rebuild with superstar center Anthony Davis making it known that he will not sign a supermax extension this summer and wants to be traded.

Therefore, if New Orleans does end up trading Davis, it could open up opportunities for Mirotic, Moore, Julius Randle, and former Sixers point guard Jrue Holiday to be moved too.

On his weekly podcast, ESPN’s Zach Lowe said that he heard over the weekend that the Pelicans made Mirotic, Moore, and Randle all available for draft picks.

“Over the weekend, I had heard from two separate teams that Mirotic, Randle, and Moore had all been made available for picks,” he said (h/t Times-Picayune).

“New Orleans is known for perhaps playing some misdirection, so teams didn’t know what to think of this. One team made of it, their guess and/or impression was, New Orleans was trying to get picks that it then flips for a big, big piece in a save-the-season trade.”

If this is the case, then the Sixers should use their five draft picks that they have for this upcoming summer’s draft and try to acquire Mirotic.

This season, the 27-year-old stretch forward is averaging almost a career-high 16.7 points along with 8.3 rebounds in 28.9 minutes per game. He is also shooting 44.7 percent from the field and 36.8-percent from three-point range (7.2 attempts per game).

In addition to his stats, what also makes Mirotic a perfect candidate is his expiring contract. He is only making $12.5 million this season and will be a free agent this summer.

For a team such as the Sixers, they want players, who are not only productive but also on expiring deals. Mirotic would be an immediate upgrade over Wilson Chandler, who is doing his best as a small ball stretch four in the Sixers’ starting lineup.

Furthermore, we have seen how much better Sixers third-year center Joel Embiid plays when he has a stretch forward next to him. It allows him to dominate the low-post, while the stretch forward (Dario Saric, Ersan Ilyasova, Mike Muscala) can linger around the perimeter.

And then there is also the possibility of adding Moore in a potential deal. The 29-year-old can play a variety of positions, despite being 6-foot-4.

This season with the Pels, he is averaging 12.3 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 2.0 assists in 29.4 minutes per game. Moore is also shooting 48.3-percent from the field and 41.7-percent from three-point range (3.3 attempts per game).

Along with offensive skills, the veteran guard is also a solid defender with a career defensive rating (DRtg) of 111. Just like Mirotic, Moore has a nice contract to move, making $8.8 million this season and $8.67 million next year.

If you think about it, Mirotic and Moore would be upgrades over Muscala and Chandler, who the Sixers could use in a potential deal along with a draft pick.