ESPN Predicts Sixers Will Stay Away From Big Trades This Offseason

ESPN recently put together a panel of writers to predict some burning NBA questions. One of the discussions regarded the Sixers and whether they will make any big trades this offseason or not.

The NBA offseason is here, and many want the Philadelphia 76ers to shake their roster up. Over the last few seasons, the Sixers have searched for and executed several trades to flip the roster. During that time, just two players were considered untouchable in trades -- and those players are Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons.

As Embiid and Simmons have quite the awkward fit playing alongside each other, it's been suggested hundreds of times the Sixers should pick which player they want to build around and trade the other away for a solid return.

But at this point, the Sixers haven't been open to the idea. Recently, NBA writers at ESPN discussed whether the 76ers should explore a big trade or not this offseason following Philly's disappointing round one sweep in the 2020 NBA Playoffs. While 53-percent of the voters said the Sixers should make a big trade, a majority of the forecast panel faced reality when predicting what's likely to happen. 

"The Philadelphia 76ers headed into the offseason full of questions. The franchise answered one of them earlier this month when it named Doc Rivers as the new coach. Now the spotlight shifts to whether Philadelphia will make any big changes to its roster this offseason.

Our panel is nearly split on whether the 76ers should do it, but the majority agrees that Philly will ultimately see what Rivers can do with its star core intact for the 2020-21 season."

While trading Simmons or Embiid away is a popular idea amongst NBA Twitter and national talk show hosts, the Sixers' front office doesn't see the situation the same way. A couple of months ago, Sixers' Executive President of Basketball Operations Elton Brand made it clear the goal is to build around Simmons and Embiid -- not pick one and build around the other.

As for the other notable trade pieces such as Al Horford and Tobias Harris, the Sixers might throw out some feelers but probably won't be thrilled with the market. Since signing both veterans to multi-year, $100-plus million contracts, Horford and Harris' contracts are often recognized as some of the worst deals in the entire league. 

The likelihood of Horford getting dealt is higher in this case, but Philly would have to feel comfortable with adding a younger player or a pick into the deal. Right now, it's unclear if the front office is eager enough to get rid of Horford if it means throwing in a valuable young prospect or an asset for the future. Perhaps, ESPN's panel gets it correct, and the 76ers try to run it back with slight changes, and some hope that Doc Rivers can generate different results this time around. 

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him on Twitter: @JGrasso_