Trade rumors: Sixers showed interest in Cleveland striker Larry Nance Jr.

It is trade season, so we must hear a lot of reports and rumors, and most of them will not materialize. But it seems that team president Daryl Morey and general manager Elton Brand have at least been active and working on the phone lines. One position in which the team needs help is the central backup point. Now Dwight Howard was very good. Fresh out of a championship campaign, where the Lakers often defeated teams like Houston Rockets, Nuggets and Heat, featuring some gigantic and megalithic formations, Howard proved to be quite useful. And this year, the former Magic, Laker and Rocket maintained their effectiveness as a rim protector:

But fans of Sixers reading this will know very well now, that one of the keys to unlocking Ben Simmons’s full potential is to surround him with snipers, and while punching a clutch triple against Utah the other night, a Howard sniper isn’t . If all of this were an episode of “Game of Zones”, Seth Curry, Danny Green, Furkan Korkmaz and Shake Milton could be our archers shooting arrows in flames, while Dwight would be our formidable and sculptural giant that helps protect the zombie wall from ice.

Larry Nance Jr.

Nathaniel S. Butler / NBAE photo via Getty Images

It may be an exaggeration to describe Larry Nance Jr. as an exaggeration, but he has greatly improved his game over the years. The former Laker has already been acquired by Kobe Altman, along with Jordan Clarkson, to help LeBron James seek the title in his final year in Ohio.

Nance Jr. had a productivity jump this season before hurting his hand. He was leading the NBA in steals and is still second in steals per game (only TJ McConnell in his Bonnieless-Clyde fury stealing everyone in sight has surpassed him). Most importantly, Nance was shooting more than 38 percent deep in more than three attempts per game, while providing a robust defense.

By Chris Fedor from Cleveland.com:

“Nance would help many teams and he is in a multiyear bargaining agreement that makes it easier to reach equal pay. It is the type of versatile piece that competitors covet because of its defense, play, kick and impact on victory. According to sources, Nance is the player that Cavs received the most calls about. Sources say the Minnesota Timberwolves have been chasing him aggressively since the off-season. Nance’s former teammate and friend D’Angelo Russell is a strong supporter of Nance. Boston, Philadelphia, New Orleans, Miami and Dallas also showed interest.

But Cavs continues to tell opposing teams that Nance, who is due to be back on the team on March 12 after surgery on his fractured left hand, is not available. They recognize what it means for the city and the organization. “

This list of interested teams should provide a clue as to the value of Nance Jr., there are a lot of smart people making calls. Mike Zarren, who allegedly works on the phone frequently for Celts, his former colleague in Daryl Morey, Morey’s former lieutenant in Gersson Rosas who is now in Minnesota, David Griffin in New Orleans, Pat Riley and Adam Simon in South Beach. The smartest nerds with the coolest jobs love Nance Jr.

With an average of 9.3 points, 1.9 steals per game, 0.5 blocks, 6.8 boards and 3.2 assists, Nance Jr. has become a valuable versatile player for the Cavs.

James Harden is certainly not the only one to be the victim of a Nance Jr. poster. He is also not the only current Nets superstar to do the LNJ curriculum:

So you can imagine how fun it would be if Ben Simmons could play a handful of his minutes per game together with a player who can a) accompany him in the transition, b) provide vertical and 3-point gravity, while c) offer edge protection . This would go a long way to adding to the Sixers’ current bank problems. And he shoots well enough to provide space for Joel Embiid as well.

But perhaps the key here is what Fedor says about Cleveland’s Nance Jr. value. The son of a Cavs legend, Larry Nance Sr., and one of the most exciting young players on the list (a runner-up in the NBA Dunk Contest a few years ago, the first his father won), the team may be reluctant to part ways his.

However, the Sixers are looking in the right places. They know they need help when Joel Embiid rests a game or takes a break, and they probably realize that as helpful as Howard has been, they really would need a big reserve with some shooting skill.