Ranking the Boston Celtics among the other potential Davis Bertans destinations

3. Philadelphia 76ers

Truth be told, this season has been a relative disappointment for the 76ers. They are currently mired in a 1-4 stretch in their last five games, mercifully ending their losing skid at four games following a seven point win against the Oklahoma City Thunder several days ago.

That doesn’t change the fact that the expectations for this team were higher than their current fifth place seeding in the Eastern Conference playoff race. With Joel Embiid‘s health a question mark at the moment–and his fit with Ben Simmons seemingly a question mark season after season, it isn’t clear what this team’s ceiling will be by the time the playoffs roll around in April.

Things need to change, and a move for Bertans would go a long way towards allowing Simmons and Embiid to operate in the half-court with such a dangerous weapon roaming the perimeter.

The loss of J.J. Redick has hurt this team, but Bertans would be a good way to mitigate that. Better yet, he would be able to play alongside both Embiid and Al Horford in an attempt to stagger the minutes of Philly’s two bigs.

The fit is a good one in Philadelphia for the breakout forward. Either in the starting lineup or on the second unit, his defensive deficiencies can be covered up. With Embiid and Tobias Harris carrying much of the offensive burden, the 15 points per game that can come from Bertans could prop up a somewhat anemic 76ers offense.

The problem is their obvious lack of assets. Besides rookie Matisse Thybulle, Philadelphia doesn’t have much to offer Washington. They sacrificed plenty of draft capital last year to acquire Harris and Jimmy Butler. That all-in move for 2018-19 may cost them in 2019-20, especially after tying up their books to their starting five and leaving little flexibility elsewhere.