The Philadelphia 76ers are the worst team in the NBA as they only have one win through 31 games and the New Orleans Pelicans are one of the biggest disappointments in the NBA so naturally they would make good trade partners, right? This is usually a little early for trades to happen in the NBA but Mario Chalmers was already traded from Miami to Memphis and now it looks like Ish Smith is going from New Orleans to Philadelphia, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.
The trade isn't official and there aren't all that many details right now but the report states that a deal is close to being done. Smith signed with the Pelicans just days before the season started and he played in their first game of the season and has appeared in 27 of their 28 games so far. Smith has been one of the Pelicans' better players so far this year too as he is averaging 8.9 points and 5.7 assists in 22.9 minutes per game.
Smith is known as one of the quickest players in the NBA and although he doesn't shoot the ball all that well his quickness is definitely an asset and he has used it to his advantage. Smith previously played with the 76ers last season for 25 games and that was the best stint of his career as he averaged 12 points and 6.3 assists per game in his short time in Philly.
The Pelicans needed Smith earlier in the year because they were dealing with an inordinate amount of injuries but now that Jrue Holiday is set to have his minutes restriction lifted and Norris Cole and Tyreke Evans are back Smith likely would have had either a very small role or none at all. Smith's play helped him increase his value a lot but it is unclear what the Pelicans will be getting back in this trade as it would be a surprise if it was more than a second round pick or a low level young player.
The 76ers also recently got healthy at the point guard spot as Kendall Marshall and Tony Wroten are back after missing the early part of the season but neither is playing very much or very well so Smith should be able to find a role. As of right now T.J. McConnell is getting the bulk of the minutes at the point and he has played pretty well but he is limited in what he can do. Provided the trade goes through, Smith's speed should provide another dimension to a 76ers team that is desperate for some sort of spark.
UPDATE: The trade has reportedly been completed and the 76ers gave the Pelicans two second round picks in return for Smith. In a corresponding move the 76ers are waiving Tony Wroten to make room for Smith, according to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports.
