3 trades the Cavs could make with Lauri Markkanen

3 trades the Cavs could make with Lauri Markkanen: Philadelphia 76ers

The Philadelphia 76ers are locked in a tight series with the Miami Heat, down just 3-2 in the Second Round despite MVP runner-up Joel Embiid missing two games and now playing through a broken face and a torn ligament in his thumb. A big reason for that has been the play of Tobias Harris.

The 76ers’ forward has been much maligned during his tenure in Philadelphia, in part because of inconsistent play, but in large part because of the cost to acquire him and the size of his salary. He is having the best postseason run of his career, shooting 50.3 percent from the field and 38.5 percent from 3-point range, averaging 17.2 points and 7.5 rebounds. Defensively he has been taking on key matchups from opponents and his defensive metrics are by-far postseason career bests.

Even so, the 76ers are hurting for depth and could see this as a diversification of assets. Flipping Harris for Markkanen and Caris LeVert would give them another perimeter scorer and a stretch-4, unlocking lineups with Markkanen at the 5 and keeping two ball-handlers on the court at all times. In essence, if the Sixers had made this trade before this postseason they could excise Shake Milton and Georges Niang from the playoff rotation and still have enough minutes to survive.

The Cavs would offload two of their least efficient players for a forward-sized one, who could start at the 3 and play minutes at the 4 as needed. He would balance the roster and provide more defensively than either Markkanen or LeVert provide; without being uncharitable, perhaps even more than the two combined. His salary is significant but not punitive and he could be the veteran member of a core set up to fly.