National Basketball Association

Philadelphia 76ers Dealing Jerami Grant For Ersan Ilyasova

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

foxsports

In a surprising move, the Oklahoma City Thunder deal power forward Ersan Ilyasova to the Philadelphia 76ers for Jerami Grant

Familiar tricks are the most reliable. So while the Philadelphia 76ers no longer have the tutelage of one Sam Hinkie to navigate through the NBA’s twists and turns of making deals to better the team, current president Bryan Colangelo is a fast understudy.

And so, the reports today of a deal for the 76ers with the Oklahoma City Thunder may not be surprising after all:

OKC sends Ersan Ilyasova and a conditional future pick to the Sixers, league sources tell @TheVertical.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojVerticalNBA) November 1, 2016

It’s hard to see this as anything more than a salary dump from the Oklahoma City Thunder, who are starting rookie Damontis Sabonis at power forward. That places Ersan Ilyasova and his $8,400,000 price tag as a significant liability for the Thunder.

What draft pick will compensate absorbing that level of salary? Likely a first round draft pick. Hopefully, that plays out as a 2017 first rounder.

To complete the transaction, the team must part ways with a current player on the roster. But as this story was going to press,the other piece was revealed. The Philadelphia 76ers have traded Jerami Grant to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

This is a new story, and as details unfold we will be happy to bring that news to you. For the Philadelphia 76ers, this will surely be a first round draft pick in the 2017 NBA draft. For the Oklahoma City Thunder, this will give them a very talented and versatile young forward who can play alongside Sabonis in their frontcourt.