Report: 76ers interested in Grizzlies' Evans, but reluctant to offer 1st-rounder
Could Tyreke Evans be headed home?
The Philadelphia 76ers have expressed trade interest in the 28-year-old combo guard, but are reluctant to surrender the first-round pick the Memphis Grizzlies seek in return, league sources told The New York Times' Marc Stein.
Evans, a Pennsylvania native, has stepped up tremendously for Memphis in Mike Conley's absence, registering a team-high 19.5 points on 45.8 percent shooting from the field and 39.2 percent from long range to go along with five assists, five rebounds, and a steal over 46 games.
It's been a rough season for the Grizzlies, though. They fired head coach David Fizdale early on, lost Conley to injury for all but a dozen games, and have sputtered to an 18-31 record. In all likelihood, they'll miss the playoffs for the first time in eight years and look to stockpile draft picks so they can rebuild.
It's tough to imagine the Sixers yielding their 2018 first-rounder (via the Los Angeles Lakers) for a possible rental of Evans - who's on an expiring $3.3-million deal - but perhaps GM Bryan Colangelo would consider it if the Grizzlies are willing to take back an undesirable contract like Jerryd Bayless' deal, which has $17.5 million remaining on it through 2018-19.
The young 76ers could use Evans' veteran leadership, scoring, and playmaking to give their much improved, but still middle-of-the-pack offense a boost and help them hold onto their playoff spot (or even move up).