Analyzing Sixers' Zhaire Smith Trade for Pistons' Tony Bradley
Daryl Morey has been quite active so far in his first season as the Sixers' President of Basketball Operations. To make himself acquainted with the City of Philadelphia, Morey fired off two trades in one night before and during the 2020 NBA Draft.
For his first trade, Morey sent Al Horford, picks, and the rights to Vasilije Micic for Danny Green and Terrance Ferguson. Then, Morey sent Josh Richardson and the draft pick that became Tyler Bey in exchange for Seth Curry.
When free agency opened two days later, Morey took advantage of the miscommunication between Dwight Howard and the Los Angeles Lakers and got Joel Embiid's new backup to Philly on a one-year deal.
Then, on Sunday, Morey struck his third and latest deal with the Detroit Pistons. In exchange for former first-round pick Zhaire Smith, the Sixers received veteran center Tony Bradley.
Breaking Down the Deal
Trading Zhaire Smith
The Sixers Parting ways with Zhaire Smith kind of gives off a similar feel to how they got rid of Markelle Fultz last year. Obviously, these two situations hold different weights. Fultz was the first-overall pick in 2017, who couldn't shake a mysterious injury.
Meanwhile, Smith was the 16th pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, and his injury was well-known to the public. Still, both prospects are young, were both traded before year three, and it feels like they didn't have the opportunity to put everything together with the Sixers' organization in such a short time.
Smith missed almost all of his rookie season with the Sixers. The organization treated his second season like his first and kept him developing in the G League while the true first-round rookie Matisse Thybulle showed positive flashes.
Zhaire Smith did a decent job with the Delaware Blue Coats last season as he averaged 13 points-per-game while shooting 37-percent from deep. Seeing as though he was a top-20 pick just a season ago, the fact that he didn't dominate with the Blue Coats was slightly disappointing.
This year, the Sixers will be too busy competing for a deep playoff run to allow a player like Smith to pick up minutes for development. The wing position is already crowded in Philly. The chances of Smith getting minutes outside of the G League again was slim. The Sixers could find a trade that can help benefit their roster -- so they made it.
Receiving Tony Bradley
Let's be clear -- Sunday's trade was by far the least beneficial trade for the Sixers. Getting Tony Bradley doesn't necessarily make them a better team. However, the Sixers have depth at the position Smith plays. You can't say the same for the center position.
Right now, the 76ers have Joel Embiid and Dwight Howard. Embiid, who has yet to play more than 65 games in a single season, is bound to miss time next year. That's just the reality of his game. So, to play third-string, the Sixers get a 22-year-old big man who has had G League and NBA experience over the last three years.
Last season, Bradley appeared in 58 games for the Utah Jazz. He averaged 4.9 points-per-game and collected nearly five rebounds-per-game. As long as Embiid and Howard are healthy, he won't see the floor much. But having young and cheap depth at the position will be necessary next season.
Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him on Twitter: @JGrasso_
