NBA Rumors: Dream 76ers trade target could slip to the Lakers

You already know this by now, but the Philadelphia 76ers are in a world of trouble. Yet with every passing loss — none of the shocking variant — everyone is still gobsmacked by how terrible they have been on both ends of the floor despite boasting one of, if not the most talented roster in the league on paper.

At this juncture, the 76ers are nothing more than mere paper tigers. They do have three, bona fide All-Stars in Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and Paul George in addition to the frontrunner for Rookie of the Year in guard Jared McCain, but beyond those four, the team is literally littered with loose parts who have all looked like dangling pieces.

For the 76ers to climb from the mudflat they find themselves stuck, the front office should do whatever it takes to salvage this season by seeking external help. They are way too talented and expensively assembled to simply punt this campaign, and they cannot afford to waste another year of Embiid’s prime.

Dream 76ers trade target rumored to be eyed by the Lakers

Philadelphia does have an ample range of players they can choose to zero in on the trade market. One of those is Dorian Finney-Smith who has been on the team’s radar for quite some time now.

However, it seems like the 76ers — if they truly follow up on this linkage — could very well face stiff competition for his services. According to Lakers insider Anthony Irwin in a recent exchange with Jake Fischer, Los Angeles is also eyeing Finney-Smith in a trade, their reported interest further stemming from last season.

Brooklyn has made it abundantly clear that it intends to build from ground zero this time around, and that means they would be very amenable to moving their veteran commodities for the right price. Finney-Smith, one of the more desirable role players in the NBA, should command a considerable return for his services.

The 76ers do have the salaries and ancillary draft picks to potentially move the Nets, but the Lakers are also in the same boat with their litany of role players they can consolidate in exchange for their veteran forward.

Finney-Smith is a rangy, malleable defender who can guard most, if not all positions. Even better, he is a factor offensively thanks to his volume three-point shooting. This season, he is shooting a career-high 41 percent from three-point range.

Hopefully, the moment trade restrictions get lifted, the Philadelphia 76ers immediately come calling for Dorian FInney-Smith and take on a more proactive stance to not let him slip to a team like the Lakers.