Sixers Trade Rumors: Philly's a Potential Landing Spot for Bulls' Denzel Valentine

Soon enough, all hypothetical NBA trade scenarios will either have to come to life or never be talked about again until at least after the season. Right now, however, we are approaching the peak of trading season -- but we aren't quite there yet.

On Thursday, all teams involved in the market will have to check out. And according to many reports, the Philadelphia 76ers are expected to buy before the deadline. They might not shake up the roster like they did last season, but a somewhat significant deal is expected.

At this point, it's evident the Sixers are on the hunt for a shooting guard to come off of the bench. The Sixers are happy with their offseason acquisition, Josh Richardson, in the starting lineup when he's healthy, but the depth isn't as reliable offensively.

Sure, the rookie Matisse Thybulle has shown some flashes of having decent offensive production, but he's far from consistent. Furkan Korkmaz is a much more reliable three-point shooter this year, but he has proven to not only be inconsistent but also a liability on defense quite often as well.

An upgrade is needed, and there's no other way to put it. So Sixers' General Manager Elton Brand has been working the phones attempting to strike a deal. We've heard plenty of names get linked to the Sixers over the last month or so -- and some were repeated. However, the latest player to be named next to Philly is a new one.

According to NBC Sports Chicago's K.C. Johnson, the Sixers have expressed interest in Chicago Bulls shooting guard, Denzel Valentine. Word around the Windy City is that Valentine has fallen entirely out of favor with his head coach. That's apparent considering he has only averaged 12 minutes-per-game this season, which is a massive drop off in comparison to last year's 27 MPG.

Since Valentine has struggled to pick up playing time this year, his numbers are obviously down. In 30 games played, Valentine has only averaged 5.8 points-per-game off the bench. He attempts 3.4 long-range shots, draining 35-percent. Considering his struggles, it shouldn't take much for the Sixers to snag Valentine.

But at that point, is it really worth it? The rumored cost for Valentine could be something like Zhaire Smith for the Bulls' veteran guard straight up.

While Smith hasn't contributed much for the Sixers this season, the 20-year-old guard could have a lot more upside than Valentine, who has proven to be an average player to come off the bench. If this is the best the Sixers could come up with before the deadline, then they probably shouldn't trade at all.

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